Ribbed Hat Knitting Patterns

I’m not much of a hat person, though I really want to be, but if I am going to wear a knit hat, odds are good I’m going to go for a ribbed hat.

Ribbed hats are great knitting projects because they have a lot of stretch so they fit a lot of heads, making them great for gift knitting or if your gauge isn’t perfect. I like the repetitive nature of ribbing, especially worked in the round, which makes for a meditative knit that feels faster than it ought to.

You can knit a ribbed hat using any combination of rib stitches you like, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

I’m sure I’ve shared this one before, but the Classic Ribbed Hat from Purl Soho is aptly named so it’s worth mentioning again. Worked in knit 1, purl 1 ribbing, it’s as basic as you can get but also allows for a million variations: work it long or short, folded brim or slouchy, a solid color or stripes, color blocking, etc. The hat calls for a gorgeous cashmere and merino blend that would make your head happy every time you wear it, or chose another light worsted or DK weight yarn. It’s sized from babies to large adults so you can make them for everyone.

Want a worsted weight version? Try Joselyn Anfossi ‘s Beanie Alba, available as a free pattern in English and Spanish on Ravelry. This one has six sizes, from babies to adults, and uses lovely centered double decreases for the shaping.

Or go bulky with this 1×1 rib hat that’s knit flat and will only take you about an hour and a half to knit. It’s from Make & Do Crew and is available on Etsy.

If 2×2 rib is more your style (it’s my personal favorite), check out the Hipster Hat from Petite Knit. This classic beanie is snug fitting and has great shaping at the top for a good fit. It’s sized for babies through adults and is meant to have a deep folded brim, but you can make it whatever size you like. It uses DK weight yarn, and you can buy it on Ravelry or the Petite Knit website.

A worsted weight version of the 2×2 rib hat is Anne Gagnon’s Two by Two, which is a free download on Ravelry. This one comes in just one size, and the pattern is available in English and Dutch.

How about a 3 by 1 rib? This hat from Mimi Knit Patterns is sized from newborn to adult and you can make it single or double layered in sport weight yarn.

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Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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