Knitting Patterns – Stash-Busting Hats

Today I thought we’d look at a slightly smaller project than scarves and afghans to focus our stash-busting efforts on: hats. Hats are one accessory that you can make really wild (well, scarves, too, I suppose) and throw lots of different colors together to make something really fun to knit and to wear.

Of course you can throw stripes on any basic hat pattern (I have a kid’s version I did with a bunch of sample balls and an adult’s version done in a particular sequence of stripes) but if you need more visual inspiration here are some more projects to check out.

Lots of basics on the same theme of using big stripes, often broken up with purl ridges, such as the Stash Hat by Christina McNamee, Casey Braden’s Stash Buster, A Colorful Hat for Baby by Amanda Cathleen Morgan and the Scrap-happy Celebration Hat (also kid sized) by Cosette Cornelius-Bates.

Christy Wasson’s Striped & Slouchy Hat and the Destashification Slouch Hat show how simple stripes work in stockinette, and Melody Lisa’s Scrappy Gnome hat brings pixie pride to any member of the family.

The Slip-Stitch Hat by Renee Rico is offered in three different sizes so you can bust stash for every member of your family.

If you have extra bits of sock yarn and don’t want to use them to knit socks, check out Kelly McClure’s cute Sockhead Hat.

Don’t forget that you can use stash on stranded knitting projects, too, like Sheila MacDonald’s Inga Hat or the Scrappy Gems Fair Isle Hat by Tina Edgar. And then there’s Lee Meredith’s Vortex; originally worked in Noro, it would be lovely as a stash buster, too.

Do you have a favorite stash-busting hat pattern? I’d love it if you’d share! Check out this stash-busting knitting book on Amazon.

Looking for more Knitted Beanie patterns? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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