Knit a Fun Hat with Tons of Colorful Brioche

We have established that I’m trying to bring more whimsy into the world with my work and my life and the things that I share here. I know not everyone goes for the wild or offbeat designs, but I hope you can still appreciate the beauty and craft that goes into them, even if it’s not something you’d ever knit yourself.

Example: the BriocheCrown Hat form Raina K. The sample hat is bright and looks pretty wild and tall and has a pompom. It also looks like a lot of fun, even if it’s maybe not something you would knit for yourself. And maybe I’ve just introduced you to your new favorite hat; who can say?

The hat uses two-color brioche and is worked in the the round from the bottom up. It uses DK weight yarn and can be made with or without stripes, so you can use as few as two or as many colors as you like. The projects section on Ravelry can show you lots of different versions with more or less striking color changes.

The bottom edge is zig-zaggy and meant to be folded up into a brim, and thanks to the stitch pattern the hat is reversible. The pattern includes two versions but the pattern notes don’t really indicate what the difference is. The hat fits an average adult and you can make it longer or shorter depending on how you feel about brims and/or slouchiness.

The designer says the pattern is suited for an adventurous beginner, and once you get the hang of brioche knitting it’s not any harder than regular ribbing (and working with two colors actually makes it easier to see what’s going on). Increasing and decreasing can be a little tricky, but practice your skills on a swatch if you haven’t done these things before and you’ll be ready to go in no time.

You can grab the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Raina K]

It feels like it’s too early to be thinking about back to school, but as I write this my daughter has just a couple of weeks of summer left! So let’s get in that school and fall knitting spirit by looking at some apple knitting projects.

If you have a 22 needle circular knitting machine, knitting an apple is one of the easiest things you can do. I have an apple pattern over at Our Daily Craft that will take you just a few minutes to knit and they’re a great addition to your fall decor.

Apple hats are a classic, and whether you want to knit a hat that looks like an apple or one with apples on it, we’ve got you covered. For hats that look like apples check out the rolled brim version from Emma Crochet Design 4 U, which uses worsted weight yarn and comes in sizes for kids of all ages; and the ribbed brim version from Hand Knit Hugs. This one also calls for worsted weight yarn and comes in four kids sizes. Both include a stem and leaf.

If you’d rather have apples on your hat, try the Red Apple Hat from Little Red Window. This one is sized from newborn to 2T and calls for four colors of worsted weight yarn.

How about apple socks? You’ll find Ariel Chang’s Apple Picnic Socks as a free download on Ravelry. These use three colors of sock yarn and come in three sizes. Stone Knits also a pair of stripey apple socks that show the inside of the apple. These also have three sizes but they use six colors total, with the main color being a self-striping yarn.

If you want a little apple accessory for the house, the apple potholder from Nifty Knitter Designs is cute and a great way to practice double knitting. It uses two colors and you’ll find the colors in the reverse on the other side. The pattern only uses about 50 yards of each color of worsted weight yarn, so it’s a great use for odd balls, too.

Once you’ve got your double knitting skills sorted you can also try the double knit apple scarf from Crow and Chai Shop. The Winter Apples scarf is shown in red and gold, but you can use whatever colors you like. There are apples, stars and random stitches in the design, which calls for DK weight yarn. There’s also a matching fingerless glove pattern.

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