A Hat Knitting Pattern for Big Hair

Most knit hats are made for what you might call “standard” sized heads, which don’t account for having a lot of hair. Whether because you have lots of curly hair, wear locs, have braids, etc., you might find that standard hat knitting patterns just don’t fit with your style.

Fatimah Hinds discovered she had this problem, and the Big Hair Much Care hat was born. She says she found that most knit hats are too short to cover her ears once they’ve covered her head, or if they’re meant to be “slouchy” they end up being loose and uncomfortable and just not very warm.

Her design is completely customizable based on what you need for optimal head comfort. The brim is deep, but it’s also worked flat and not seamed so you can wear it open at the back if you need to and it will still keep your ears warm. If you don’t need as much space you can pin the brim together, giving you an opportunity to use a pretty pin or a fun button on your hat.

It can be styled with hair tucked into the hat or not, depending on your preference.

The top of the hat is worked in the round and the pattern has information on how to customize it to fit your hair.

The hat is worked with two strands of fingering weight yarn held double for extra warmth, and can be worked with two colors or using up your leftover yarn from other projects. Or try a DK weight yarn instead if you can get gauge that way.

You can get this pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Fatimah Hinds.]

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When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

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