Best Friend Hat: Free Hat Knitting Pattern

Введение

Best Friend Hat

Childhood friend or work buddy, sister or brother, pen pal or neighbor, no matter who gets the best friend title in your life, our Best Friend Hat seals the deal!

A simple 1×1 rib makes a stretchy fabric that hugs the head, while two strands of our wonderfully soft Line Weight yarn make a pretty marle with lots of room to play! If it all looks a little familiar, that’s because the Best Friend Hat is an update to our classic Boyfriend Hat, now for all genders and in more sizes.

We’ve also added a color switcheroo so that one color remains the same while one changes partway through, a contrast cuff if you wear it folded up or just a neat colorblock if you wear it slouchy… Also a good opportunity to make one for your best friend and reverse the colors for yours, not too matchy match but definitely best friends!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

Color A: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this fingering weight yarn is 494 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 135 (190, 235, 265, 305, 355) yards required.
Color B: 1 skein of Line Weight; approximately 60 (85, 100, 115, 130, 150) yards required.
Color C: 1 skein of Line Weight; approximately 75 (110, 135, 155, 175, 205) yards required.
US 3 (3.25 mm), 16-inch circular needles
A set of US 3 double pointed needles
4 stitch markers, including 1 unique

Here are the color combinations we used (NOTE: Some colors are no longer available)…

Baby size: Color A: Red Pine; Color B: Kiln Red; Color C: Wheat Flour

Toddler size: Color A: Red Plum; Color B: Kiln Red; Color C: Ballet Pink

Junior/ Adult Small size: Color A: Soft Black; Color B: Fieldstone Gray; Color C: Heirloom White

Adult Medium size: Color A: High Tide; Color B: True Turquoise; Color C: Reed Gray

Gauge

39 stitches and 34 rows = 4 inches in 1 x 1 rib, unstretched, holding together a strand of Yarn A and a strand of Yarn B

Sizes

Baby (Toddler, Junior/Adult Small, Adult Medium, Adult Large, Adult X-Large)

To fit actual head size of approximately 15-16 (17-18, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 24-25) inches

Finished Circumference: 11 ½ (13, 14 ¾, 16 ½, 18, 19 ¾) inches, un-stretched
Finished Height (uncuffed): 7 ¾ (9, 10 ¼, 11, 11 ¾, 12 ¾)

Pattern

Begin

With one strand of Color A and one strand of Color B, cast 112 (128, 144, 160, 176, 192) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 3½ (4, 4¼, 4½, 4¾, 5) inches from cast-on edge.

Cut Color B and join Color C.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 6¼ (7½, 8¼, 9, 9½, 10¼) inches from cast-on edge.

Shape Crown

NOTE: Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.

Set-Up Round: [Work 28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48) stitches in established 1 x 1 rib pattern, place marker] 3 times, work in established pattern to end of round.

Round 1: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, knit 2 together (k2tog), work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, slip slip knit (ssk), repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 2: *[K1, p1] four times, k1, purl 2 together (p2tog), work in established pattern to 2 stitches before next marker, p2tog through the back loop (tbl), repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches decreased]

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 three (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) more times. [48 stitches]

Next Round: *Ssk, [k1, p1] 2 times, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [40 stitches]

Next Round: *Ssk, p1, k1, p1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [32 stitches]

Next Round: *Ssk, k1, k2tog, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [24 stitches]

Finish

Cut yarns and thread them onto a tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches. Pull tight and bring tails to inside of hat to weave in.

Weave in remaining tails and block as desired.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

LEARN ABOUT LINE WEIGHT + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS

Line Weight is a lovely choice for this project because it is sumptuously soft with a subtle luster. A lithe single ply of 100% merino wool, this fingering-weight yarn knits up into a smooth fabric that blooms beautifully when you hand wash it. Enjoy 494 yards of beautiful knitting with every 100-gram skein and choose from over two dozen riveting colors!

More Knitting Patterns

Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Line Weight patterns and cast on!

More Fingering-Weight Yarns

Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns (What does fingering-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to fingering-weight yarn will answer your questions and more!)
If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.

More Yarns With Similar Fibers