Hat Knitting Patterns Using Sock Yarn

I’ve spent a lot of time this year sharing patterns you can make with sock yarn that isn’t socks. We’ve covered gloves, mittens, cowls and shawls, most of which you can make with a single skein of yarn.

Hats are another great project to make with sock yarn, and you can make a lot of them with just one skein (here I looked for patterns that use less than 300 yards/274 meters) or a skein plus some scraps if colorwork is involved. These are great “treat yourself” patterns to make for the end of the year, and a sock yarn hat can be worn a lot later in the season that a bulkier hat because it’s not as warm.

For a great basic hat, try the Everyday Slouchy Beanie from Dragon Hoard Designs (available on Ravelry). It comes in three sizes and the largest uses a little more than 300 yards, but we’re pretty close. It’s worked in the round from the bottom up and uses a provisional cast on to help fashion the foldover brim. Giant pom-pom optional.

If you want to throw in some stripes left over from other sock yarn knitting projects, try the Scraptastic hat from Jane Tanner. This one is a free download on Ravelry and also comes in three sizes. You could also knit it in a solid color if you wanted. There are no rules here.

Barley Light from Tin Can Knits is another free Ravelry download and a great classic hat with a bit of texture. It’s mostly stockinette with a section of garter stitch, and a ribbed edge to pull it all together. This one is sized for babies through adults.

Add a slant to your stitches with the Swirl Hat, sized from preemie through adult and available on Ravelry from Mandie Harrington. The stitching gives it stretch that’s great for growing heads, or cozy for use as a chemo cap.

Another fun way to add texture can be seen on the Weybosset Hat, available on Etsy from The Knit McKinley. It looks complicated but it uses slipped stitches to make the beautiful textured pattern. It is sized for adults.

Bring a teensy bit of a different color to your hat with the Little Snow Flowers pattern from Softyarn Designs on Etsy. This one is sized for kids through adults and needs less than 20 yards of the contrasting color for any size.

Want to add even more color? Throw in some stranded knitting around the brim of your hat, like on the Tremblant Toque from Dianna Walla. This free pattern on Ravelry calls for a background color and two contrasting colors, and it’s available in three sizes.

And since we’re talking lightweight hats, why not add a bit of lace for a hat you can wear all year? The Picacho Hat from Alyssa Latuchie (free on Ravelry) uses a pretty allover lace pattern that’s easy to get the hang of. It comes in one size for adults.

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Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.

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