Simple knitting hat — a step-by-step guide for beginners

Try to figure out how to knit а simple knitting hat. A simple knitting hat that is suitable even for beginner knitters. For beginner knitters, I suggest you use a simple step-by-step guide that will give you a quick understanding of the intricacies of knitting hats.

Detailed instructions will help you correctly determine the size of your head and the number of loops required for knitting a hat.

The described methods for calculating the height and beautiful closure of the crown are universal. They are suitable for hats with patterns of any complexity.

Read our article: Beautiful basic hat with a rolled brim.

Simple knitting hat

A simple knitting hat is a basic, versatile design that works well with any style of dress and is equally suited to adult men and women as well as children of any age.

Once you learn how to knit this type of hat, you can design several styles of hat – with a longer top, with a lapel or with any pattern you like.

What to do before you start simple knitting hat

There are four things to do before you start knitting – choose the yarn, knit and measure the pattern, determine the size of the hat, and calculate the number of stitches and rows.

Choosing a yarn

Let’s start with the choice of yarn. The universal yarn for knitting simple knitting hat is a medium thickness yarn with a length of 200 to 240 metres per 100 grams. It is better to use a good quality natural wool or a yarn with a lot of wool.

A hat for adults will require 150 – 200 grams of yarn. For children, 100 – 150 grams will suffice. For a medium-thickness yarn will be suitable needles size 3,5 – size 4,5. The yarn seller’s recommendations will help you decide on the thickness of the needles.

Knitting a sample with knitting needles

The knitting density is determined by the control sample. For this reason, knitting the sample is a compulsory part that can only be skipped if you have previously worked with this yarn and know its properties well.

How to size a hat

If you are knitting for yourself, take a hat that fits you. Then measure the hat with a dressmaker’s tape measure.

But it is better to take simple measurements. Measurements can help determine the size of the head.

The head is measured at the widest point of the head, slightly above the ears. Do not tighten the tailor’s tape measure.

Knitting a hat with a circular knitting needle

Crocheting in a circle is much easier. All the rows are knitted on the front side. In patterns, the number of backstitches is reduced, and in stockinette knitting, they are completely absent.

Circular knitting can be done with stocking needles (double-sided) or with circular needle.

Stocking needles are sold in sets of 5. The stitches are cast on in the usual way and distributed in equal parts on the 4 needles. The stitches are then knitted in a circle. The free needle is used for the stitches.

For simple knitting hat, shortened circular needles 8 – 9 cm long are ideal. The length of the fishing line should be 40 cm. You can also use standard 11 – 12 cm knitting needles. But these knitting needles are not suitable for small size hats.

To avoid a step at the beginning of the circle and to make the start of the hat look neat, you need to add 1 more stitch.

Join, making sure not to twist stitches on row. Slip 1st stitch on left needle purl-wise over to right needle. Slip the 2nd stitch on right needle over the 1st.
Move the slipped stitch back to left needle. Tighten yarn ends. Place a marker to mark beginning of the round and start knitting.

Start the knitting with an elastic band to prevent the edge from turning.

Calculating the stitches for simple knitting hat

To calculate stitches and rows, use a hat knitting calculator.

The calculator is for knitting in a circle, if you choose to knit with straight needles, remember to add one edge stitch on each side.

Using the finished pattern, determine the knitting density. Enter the desired size and knitting density in the calculator and obtain the number of stitches you need for your hat.

How long to knit a hat

A simple knitting hat fits snugly around the head. The length from the brim to the crown of the cap depends on the size and is usually between 14 – 20 cm. For a longer hat, add 5 – 10 cm to the above length at your discretion.

Enter the knitting density and the length of the hat in the calculator and it will calculate the number of rows to be completed before you close the top of the hat.

How to close the top of a simple knitting hat beautifully

When you have finished the main part of the simple knitting hat, start closing the stitches in the top of the hat.

Distribute the stitches into equally sized wedges to create a beautifully crafted top.

Our hat calculator will help you knit your simple knitting hat top with ease. The number of wedges and rows will vary depending on your yarn thickness and knitting density. Thin and large beanies can have up to 12 wedges. For voluminous hats choose a smaller number of pieces.

Most often, the top of a simple knitting hat is divided into 4 or 6 pieces.

Loose stitches can be added in every row, every second row, every third row.

Deducting the loopes on a hat

The crown of a simple hat is closed in equal parts. By reducing each part of the hat by one stitch, you will have a nice spiral shape to the crown. The thinner the yarn, the more twisted the crown is. Using a little trickery, the spiral can be twisted either to the left or to the right side.

To ensure that the top does not have a slant, you must add one stitch at the beginning and end of each piece.

How to decrease by knitting 2 stitches together (K2tog)

This is probably the easiest way to decrease 1 stitch: knit 2 stitches together as one. In the video we first knit 2 stitches together in the front loops, the dec leans right.
Then we knit 2 stitches twisted together, i.e. we knit them together in the back loops and the dec leans to the left.

How to decrease: slip, knit, pass (SKP)

In this video we show how you decrease 1 stitch on the RS using SKP (slip 1 stitch, knit next stitch and pass slipped stitch over).

A simple hat with a knitting needle

Now we know that a simple hat can be knitted quite easily. Let’s try knitting two hats with differently angled tops.

Top with slope to the right

Size: 35, 45, 55 cm.

Materials:

Yarn Katia «Merino Aran» 100 g (150 m/100g), 52% superwash merino wool, 42% acrylico.

Needles:
Circular needle size 4 mm, 4.5 mm: Length 40 cm.
Double pointed needles size 4.5 mm.
The technique MAGIC LOOP can be used – you then only need circular needle of 80 cm.

Note: Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

Knitting tension
16 stitches in width and 20 rows in height with stocking stitch = 10 x 10 cm.
Hat – short overview of the piece:
The piece is worked in the round with circular needle, bottom up. Change to double pointed needles when necessary.

Hat:

Cast on 56-72-88 stitches with short circular needle size 4 mm.

Work 4 rounds of * knit 1, purl 1 *, work from *-* to the end of the round.

Then work with short circular needle size 4.5 mm. stocking stitch to finished length 12 (14, 17) cm – 24 (28, 34) rows.

When the piece measures 12-14-17 cm decrease 7 (9, 11) stitches evenly spaced.

Decrease tip (evenly spaced): To work out how to decrease evenly, count the total number of stitches on needle (e.g. 56, 72, 88 stitches) and divide by the number of decreases to be made 7 (9, 11) = 8.  In this example decrease by knitting together each 7th and 8th stitch.

Repeat this decrease every 2 row, 7 times = 7-9-11 stitches.

Top with a lean to the left

Size: 40, 50, 55, 55 cm.

Materials:

Yarn Katia «Merino Aran» 100 g (150 m/100g), 52% superwash merino wool, 42% acrylico.

Needles:
Circular needle size 4.5 mm: Length 40 cm.
Double pointed needles size 4.5 mm.
The technique MAGIC LOOP can be used – you then only need circular needle of 80 cm.

Note: Needle size is only a guide. If you get too many stitches on 10 cm, change to a larger needle size. If you get too few stitches on 10 cm, change to a smaller needle size.

Hat:

Cast on 64-80-88 stitches with short circular needle size 4,5 mm.

Work circular needle size 4.5 mm. stocking stitch to finished length 15 (18, 19) cm – 30 (36, 38) rows.

Decrease tip (evenly spaced): To work out how to decrease evenly, count the total number of stitches on needle (e.g. 56, 72, 88 stitches) and divide by the number of decreases to be made 7 (9, 11) = 8. In this example decrease by knitting together each 7th and 8th stitch.

Repeat this decrease every 2 row, 7 times = 8-10-11 stitches.

I hope that our step-by-step instructions for knitting a hat for beginners have helped you to work out how to calculate and knit a simple hat with front smoothing.

Read also:

1. Simple square hat — 5 ways to knit.
2. Нat knitting calculator.
3. Knitted scarf – a simple instruction for beginner knitters.