Embedded Files
Ah, Christmas. One of the most joyous times of the year, if only because of the implied vacation time and understanding that little actual work will be accomplished following Thanksgiving. Something I particularly enjoy is decorating my home to reflect the seasons - Christmas is an opportunity to do that over-the-top holiday effect free of judgement.
In this post, another long one because I don't know why I keep doing this to myself, we'll go through not one, not two, but FOUR Tutorials for the season!
Important Note: This post was originally very long and came in the 4 parts described above. This makes it difficult to navigate, especially if you're looking for the project all the way at the bottom and extra especially if you're on a phone. Use the buttons below to go to the 4 posts, now separated for ease of reading.
Fit Me Knit Santa Hat
Fit Me Knit Santa Hat
I love a good Santa hat - makes me feel very festive with very little effort. Problem is, I have a giant head. It's true. Hats usually don't fit me and when I can squeeze them on, they give me a headache. Luckily, Santa hats are very simple to make and easy to adjust in size!
The full pattern for my giant head is below, but we'll start with instructions on how to figure the pattern out for whatever size you need. Start to finish, this hat took me about 8 hours of knitting and was finished in a weekend.
Materials
Materials
Yarn: I recommend any size 4 yarn. You'll need two colors - one for the trim and pom-pom and one for the main hat. I've used Red Heart super saver in white and Caron one pound in country rose (happened to be in my stash)
Size 8 knitting needles (5 mm) - circulars are recommended, but you can use dpns if you prefer.
Snips
Tapestry needle
Stitch marker - recommended to help you remember when to mark that you've finished a row on your stitch counter
Adjusting the Sizing
Adjusting the Sizing
Gauge
Gauge
*You MUST knit a gauge swatch to adjust the sizing*
22 sts = 5.25 inches
15 rows = 2.5 inches
How to Adjust the Pattern for Your Size
How to Adjust the Pattern for Your Size
First, measure your head. Measure where you actually want the hat to sit. For me, that's around my forehead and the base of my skull, so a bit of a diagonal. I have a measurement of 23 inches.
Next, knit the gauge swatch and measure out how many stitches you have per inch.
To determine how many stitches you'll need to cast on at the brim, we figure out a bit of negative ease so the hat actually stays on (multiply your skull measurement by 0.8), then use a proportion to calculate the number of stitches needed at the brim.
Importantly, whatever our final value is for number of stitches *must be rounded up to the nearest multiple of 4.* This is because we'll use a 2x2 rib at the brim and we want it to be an even k2p2 all the way around. A multiple of 2 only could give us a weird k4 or p4 blob at the beginning of each round.
Once you've determined your starting number of stitches, you just need to figure out how to decrease for the actual hat. To figure this out, pick a factor of your stitch count. Since I'll be using 80 stitches, I could choose either 10, 8, 5, 4, or 2. I went with 8 - this is how many times I'll decrease on the decrease rounds.
I'll now divide my stitch count by this value. For me, that's 80 sts / 8 = 10. So to figure my initial decrease, it'll be over a *total group of 10 sts.* The last 2 sts in this group will be a k2tog. So, subtract 2 from your group number. For me, that's 10 - 2 = 8. What that means is my first decrease round will be [K8, K2tog] around. Then I'll do a bunch of rows just K around. My next decrease round will be [K7, K2tog] around, K around for a few rows, then [K6, K2tog] around, etc. See the pattern? Each decrease round you just lower the K number by one.
How many rows between decreases? That's up to you. My hat is around 20 inches long without the tassle - I went with 14 rows between each decrease. There's some math here, and you can make it tricky, but easiest way is to count how many times you'll decrease (think: first one is K8 K2tog, then K7 K2tog....how many times until you get down to just K2tog?). Then:
(Number of K rounds between decreases + 1) * Number of decreases = total rows
Then use your gauge to figure out how long it will be:
*Importantly, we will start the hat with 6 inches of straight stockinette.* So add 6 to the number you get above to get the actual total length.
Too long? Subtract some knit rounds between decreases. Too short? Add more knit rounds between decreases. Play around with it until you like the length.
Knitting goes like this:
Cast on your total stitches.
K2P2 around until you have 3 inches of ribbing.
Change colors and K around until you have 6 inches of the new color (9 inches total). You might want only 4 inches for a child-size hat if it's a small child.
Decrease round.
K around for your pre-determined number of K rounds between decreases.
Repeat the previous two lines, following the decrease pattern described above and following that with your number of plain K rounds.
At the end of the hat, don't bind off (see pattern instructions below). Add the pom-pom.
Fit Me Santa Hat Pattern
Fit Me Santa Hat Pattern
The written pattern here assumes the gauge above and a 23 inch adult head.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations
k - knit
p - purl
K2tog - knit 2 together
sts - stitches
Cast On, Ribbing, Plain Red
Cast On, Ribbing, Plain Red
Cast on 80 sts using white yarn.
Join in the round and work K2P2 around until you have 3 inches of 2x2 ribbing (about 18 rounds)
Change to red.
K around until you have an additional 6 inches of red knitting (9 inches total) - about 36 rounds.
Shape Hat
Shape Hat
R1: *[K8, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R2 - R15: K around (72 sts).
R16: *[K7, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R17 - R30: K6 around (64 sts).
R31: *[K6, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R32 - R45: K around (56 sts).
R46: *[K5, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R47 - R60: K around (48 sts).
R61: *[K4, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R62 - R75: K around (40 sts).
R76: *[K3, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R77 - R90: K around (32 sts).
R91: *[K2, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R92- R105: K around (24 sts).
R106: *[K, K2tog], repeat from * around.
R107 - R120: K around (16 sts).
R121: K2tog around.
R122 - R135: K around (8 sts).
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. *Do not bind off.* Thread tail through sts using a tapestry needle. Then, remove needles and pull tight to close. Tie a single knot to hold. Weave in end.
Make Pom-Pom
Make Pom-Pom
Wrap white yarn around your fingers 60 - 100 times. You can also use a piece of cut cardboard here about 4 inches across.
Use another piece of yarn to gather the loops and tie tightly across the center, pulling yarn into a bunch. Tie a knot and leave a long tail for sewing.
Cut the loops and trim pom-pom to be even around.
Use the tapestry needle to pull long pom-pom tail through the top of the hat. Weave in end, adjusting the length of the string to let the pom-pom hang.
Your hat is now finished! If you feel like blocking, now is the time to do it. However, I did not bother because I didn't mind the slight lumps on the decrease rounds.
A great benefit of having a knitted Santa hat - it's warm! Great for wearing on your COVID-masked walks around the block to bring a little holiday cheer to your neighborhood.
There you have it, friends! Four beginner projects to kick start your Christmas season.
This post and the last were pretty long, you can expect the next few to be a tad shorter.
Posts come every other Friday - You can follow me here on the blog by filling out the form at the bottom of the page and get lots of extra content between posts by following me on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook!
Now, go forth and bring some Christmas spirit to the world!
Originally published December 4, 2020.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse