$6.00

How to Buy

How to Buy

Felted Hats & Hat Bands

PATTERN DETAILS

RELEASE DATE:  January 2005. 

DESCRIPTION:  Make a fitted, felted hat with a variety of brim and hat band options. The brim can be flat and narrow, wide with a slit at the back, or upward slanting with a narrow or wide "flip". The crown can fit the head snugly or be shaped – flattened (when combined with the narrow upturned brim, this style looks like a top hat), or the pinched-front fedora style.

SIZE:  Adult, for women & men.

SKILL REQUIRED:  Advanced beginner. You must be able to knit circularly on double point and circular needles.

MATERIALS:

• YARN: 

  • HAT:  About 310 yards (335 meters) worsted weight of wool or other 100% animal fiber (can be a blend of animal fibers), but do NOT use a superwash or machine washable yarn because those yarns are specially treated not to shrink.  Also, do NOT use a fiber blend that includes silk, synthetic or plant fibers.  If in doubt, as your yarn supplier if the particular yarn and color is known to shrink (be feltable).

  • HAT BAND:  Fingering or sport weight or other fine yarn.  Yardage is small.  One 50-gram ball should make two or more hat bands. 

• NEEDLES:  

  • HAT: Size 15 (10 mm) circular needle that’s 36 inches (90 cm) or shorter AND a set of double points needles of the same size. NOTE – because of the shrinking process, the needle size is not too critical, HOWEVER, although your hat may felt to the same size, it may be a little floppier or denser than those shown if you choose another needle size.

  • HAT BAND:  US Size 4 (3.5 mm) or size compatible with the yarn you select for the hat band.

• MISCELLANEOUS:

  • Blunt darning needle to weave in ends of both hat yarn and hat band yarn.

  • End of round stitch marker

  • Sewing thread in hat color & sharp sewing needle to match

  • Straight pins

  • Scissors

  • Hat mold or head-size bowl or pot (outside circumference should match the head circumference)

  • Waterproof surface covered with a towel

GAUGE: 

• HAT – Not critical since it will be shrunk to size, but approximately 10.5 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) unfelted. Once the hat is felted, the gauge is impossible to discern.

• HAT BAND – Also not critical, but worked at a gauge that is at or slightly looser (fewer stitches per inch) than is shown on the yarn ball’s label.

hat & brim variations

double-pointed hat band