Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

How to Knit Two Hats at the Same Time

by

How to knit two hats at the same time on the same needlesKnitters are so darn clever sometimes I just can’t get over it.

Tammy Lyons, who blogs at Eclectic Technique, was thinking about that fact that it’s possible to knit two socks at the same time on the same needles, one inside the other, and wondered if she could use the same technique to knit two hats at the same time on the same needles.

The answer was of course, and it’s really cool to think about and look at even if you never do it yourself. But should you ever have to knit hats for twins you can have them done at the same time.

She outlines the technique in three posts on her blog (the first is linked here) but you can also get all the details in a PDF from Ravelry.

Admittedly this is a fiddly process that involves lots of moving around of yarn. But it’s kind of a great parlor trick, and, again, if you needed two hats done at the same time for any reason, you would have them. It might be fun to try just once, to say that you had done it.

Is this something you would try? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Did you know, specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next. Or how about our VIP Knitting Group with Free knitting pattern access including vintage and Etsy designer patterns for less than $1 a month.

[Photo via Tammy Lyons.]

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. It looks cool but I would never do it. It is way too fiddly and would take me SO much longer than just knitting 2 hats separately. I do knit 2 socks at a time magic loop and I think it saves me a little time because I don’t have to measure to make sure I am making them the same length, etc, but I would never do one inside the other, whether hats or socks or whatever!

  2. I’m a two circular items on 2 circular needles kind of gal. In fact, over the summer I knit 3 identical hats for our 3 daughters at the same time on 2 circular needles. Can’t do that with double knitting!

  4. I found a pattern similar to this one, but the hats were worked so it ended up being one reversible hat. I made it for my husband and he said it’s the warmest hat he has ever worn. Now it’s the only one he wears. It is a little more time consuming but well worth it.

Have you read?

Add a Little Lace to Your Knitting Patterns

If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.