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

[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!).