Knit hoods and bonnets are trending this winter, both because of cuteness and because they are a great way to keep your head (and sometimes your neck, too) warm without as much of a risk of hat head or the need to wear both a hat and a scarf.
What’s the difference between a hood and a balaclava? I think it’s that the hat part is more snug on the head, it’s meant to cover the mouth, and the neck part may be longer on a hood. But if you’ve got a better answer I’d love to hear it! In the meantime, check out these fun hood knitting patterns.
I’ve been seeing a lot of the Hoodola from Laura Nelkin in my feed this winter, and with good reason. This simple hood with a ribbed neck warmer can double as a balaclava by folding it up over your face. It can also be worked in any yarn from DK to bulky, so you can use what you have and choose the level of warmth that you want. There’s even a version on the Ravelry page that’s lined with fabric if that’s a thing that interests you. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.
The Sophie Hood from Petite Knit combines a snug hat with long tails to make a scarf you can wrap around your neck. It’s worked flat in a worsted/aran weight yarn from one tip of the scarf to the other. The I-cord edging is worked as you knit. There’s a seam at the back of the head but not a lot of finishing. The pattern has three sizes and you buy it on Ravelry or direct from Petite Knit.
NORgardknitters offers My Jose Hood (alas, no word on why it’s called that), which has longish ends but not as long as the Sophie. It includes I-cord ties so you can tie the ends around your neck. It’s worked from the top down in worsted weight yarn, with the top of the hood worked first and stitches picked up from the sides to make the sides of the hood and the edges. It uses worsted/aran weight yarn and you can buy it on Ravelry.
Modern Vintage Knits Co calls this one a balaclava, but I’m going to go ahead and call it a hood since it has more of a bonnet shape than a hat. This one uses worsted weight yarn and the hood part is worked in stockinette with a ribbed neck portion. And I-cord drawstring surrounds the face so you can wear it tighter or looser as the weather dictates.
And if you want to add a touch of fantasy to keeping yourself warm, I offer the Dragon Watcher’s Hood form Tiny Owl Knits Patterns. This one is worked in super bulky yarn with long I-cord drawstrings and a super long hat portion that decreases to just a few stitches at the end. Stitch bells to the tip of the hat and the ends of the I-cords for extra whimsy.
