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How to Knit Two Hats at the Same Time

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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!

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[Photo via Tammy Lyons.]

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?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]