Hi!  I know you’re here for the hat pattern, which is the most popular thing here.  But I wanted to let you know that my new book is up on Amazon!  Check it out!

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So, I was browsing yarn.com’s closeouts (one of my favorite things to do!) and saw this adorable (and sadly discontinued) Classic Elite Bubbles. Something inside me shouted out “Kid hat!” I tossed a ball into my cart. It arrived, and sure enough, the “Kid hat!” refrain was still playing. But the ball was a bit smaller than I had hoped. It still seemed like “about a hat’s worth,” but I’d need to use every yard.

I also was in no mood to do a gauge swatch or a bunch of math, nor try to figure out exactly how much yarn the top shaping on a hat would take, so I could determine when to start… I just wanted to get knitting. So I did. Here’s how.

Yarn: whatever you like. Any weight – truly doesn’t matter. About a hat’s worth (I do this by squishing it in my hand and seeing if it kinda feels like squishing a hat. As you can tell, I’m a bit cavalier with my knitting.) I made a kid’s hat with one ball (61 yards) of bulky yarn here. I’m guessing two balls would be plenty for a grown-up hat.

Needles: whatever the label calls for, or a bit smaller. You can use dpns to start, then switch to a smallish (24”) circular, or you can stay on dpns throughout, or you can magic loop it.

Notions: a tapestry needle and a freewheeling attitude.

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CO 6 st. Distribute evenly on 3 dpns, or use a magic loop. Join, being careful not to twist.
Row 1 (and all odd rows): k
Row 2: yo, k1, repeat to end (12 st)
Row 4: yo, k2, repeat to end (18 st)
Row 6: yo, k3, repeat to end (24 st)

You see what I’m doing here, right? Increasing 6 st in every other row, lining up the yos to make pretty swirly lines.

Continue in this manner until the circumference of your knitting is a little smaller (an inch less? Thereabouts?) than the circumference of the head you’re knitting for. (The astute knitter will notice that I am not planning to block. No, I’m not. It’s all part of my cavalier plan.)

Row 23 (or whatever) and all odd rows: k
Row 24 (or whatever): yo, k to 2 st before the next yo, ssk, repeat to end

Repeat these two rows until you only have a few yards left, or until it looks like a hat. Then k solid for 3-4 rows, or until you run out of yarn. This will give you a little rolled brim. BO loosely. Sew in the ends.

Voila! A hat with no math!

Psst – have you seen the Manly Version of this hat?