Recs for Good Hats

[sporky_rat]

I'm wanting to make hats for my family for Christmas and I'm having trouble find just a simple, plain watchcap/toboggen whatever the hell you call it.   I have been looking on Ravelry (Hi! I'm Gnomerat!) and want some recommendations.  I can handle cables and increases and decreases and ribbing and all that, but my family is a little rough on hats. 

So if anyone has any recommendations (some of them are actually going to be getting those fingerless cabled gloves Fetching), I'd love to know! 

Comments

[houseelf]

My favorite basic hat pattern comes from a book, which may not help you in the short term. The book is "The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns", by Ann Budd. It has very basic patterns for hats, tams, mittens, maybe gloves, and sweaters (I think that's everything) in sizes from very small children up to fairly large adults.

[damned_colonial]

I was going to suggest this too.

But in the meantime: assuming you know your gauge, just multiply it by the circumference of someone's head minus a bit (I have a 24" head and usually cast on for 22-23"), knit 4" of rib (for an adult; a bit less for a kid), then stocking stitch til it's about square when you lie it flat, then:

k2tog k10 for one round
k one round
k2tog k9 for one round
k one round
k2tog k8 for one round
etc

until you have only a very small number of stitches left (you'll need to switch to DPNs at some point), then run the end of the yarn through the loops and pull it tight.

The decreases given above work if you start with a number of stitches divisible by 12. You can either make sure you cast on something that works with that (I like things divisible by 12 because they are also divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6, which makes for easy pattern repeats), or just fudge it a bit, eg. start at k2tog k8 if you have a number divisible by 10. It's not an exact science.

Example gauges:

If you are using worsted at 20st/4", and want to cast on for 20" (5 times 4"), you would cast on 20 * 5 = 100 st.

If you are using aran weight at 16st/4" and want to cast on for a kid, say 16" (4 times 4"), cast on 16 * 4 = 64st.

[damned_colonial]

BTW, here are some standard measurement charts for adults and kids: http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/sizing.html

(Might save you from having to measure the heads of everyone you know.)

Remember -- knitting is stretchy and forgiving, so there's no harm in knitting hats a bit small for adults. For kids, well, they'll grow ;)

[aunty_marion]

That's pretty much how I 'eyeball' a plain knitted hat, too! I made a whole load of archery-target hats about a year ago, and mostly cast on 90 stitches and decreased in a multiple of either 10 or 9 for the top. I started decreasing a little earlier, though, and did four or five rows between each decrease row. I use Magic Loop on a long circular, so didn't have to go down to DPNs (thank goodness!).

[minxy]

I like Regular Guy Beanie by Chuck Wright for manly hats, but I knit it taller and then decreased every round for a flatter top. I also like the Button-Tab Hat by Marcie Nishioka.

Hello, I'm katieintheworld there. You can find me through the dreamwidth group as well.

[pinesandmaples]

I have made the Silk Garden Beanie with a variety of yarns, and it always works.

I use Kureyon for that pattern most of the time so any worsted weight yarn (heavy, light, or just in the middle there) will work for this hat.

[girlpearl]

I made the Irish hiking hat for my father, and it was super-quick and looked fancier than it felt to knit, if you know what I mean.

There's also the gusto beanie but I had a problem with that one. IIRC it knit up the size of a small child's cap in my hands. No idea how.

And for my sister I liked the palindrome hat, which is kind of the opposite of the Irish hiking hat, knits very quickly and generously sized.

[sporky_rat]

Oho ho ho thank you all!! Now I have lots of options!! You all rock!

(and you, Mrs Pines and Maples, have something in my mail sack!)