‘Perfect Fit’ Hat on Double Knit Loom

“Can you decrease on the ‘Rotating’ Double Knit Loom to get a hat with a smooth fitted crown?”  YES!! With a series of decreases you will be able to create a nice flat rounded crown of hat.

The Cuff is knit in separate piece to lay flat. Just a great fitting hat that you’ll love to wear.

Loom:  ‘Rotating’ Double Knit Loom set for double knit with 52 pegs

Yarn:  Red Heart Colorscape, 100% Acrylic, Color Acapulco, one skein

Stitches:  Stockinette

Notions Needed:  Knit hook, Crochet hook, Darning needle

Size:  10.5” deep X 10” wide laying flat: 9” deep with brim turned up. Head circumference 21-23”

Gauge:  3.5 sts X 5 rows= 1 inch

INSTRUCTIONS

Cast on 52 stitches in Stockinette.  Lay anchor yarn using #5 or #6 yarn, of contrast color.

Rnds 1-30:  Stockinette

Decrease Rnd #1:  Work 5 decrease stitches by moving one loop to adjacent peg on both looms.  There will be approximately 10 sts between each empty peg, but exact is not necessary.  You can use any stitch marker to note the empty pegs, so they don’t get wrapped.  Hook over and be sure to pick up the 2 loops on peg next to empty.

Work one regular rnd with no dec. Skip the empty pegs and keep in stockinette weave.  Work rnd in stockinette weave.

Decrease Rnd #2:  Work 2 decrease stitches between each of the previous or empty pegs, evenly spaced. This will leave different amounts of stitches between the empty pegs.  It will be 2 or 3, but exact is not necessary as long as you decrease by additional 10 stitches.  Work rnd skipping the empty pegs and be sure to hook over both loops on peg next to empty peg.

Work one regular rnd with no decrease. You have 37 loops remaining on the loom.

Decrease Rnd #3:  Decrease an additional 15 stitches by doing one decrease between the empty pegs.  This may leave 1 or 2 stitches between the empty pegs.  This is fine as long as you have just 22 stitches remaining on the loom.  Work row on all stitches.

Work one regular row with no decrease.

As you reduce the amount of stitches, you will be increasing the amount of empty pegs.  You will end with 22 stitches and are ready to bind off of loom.

Bind Off of Loom:  Cut working yarn with 20” of yarn tail.  This will be used later to remove the stitches.  On remaining stitches, move the inner loop onto peg on outer loom.  The inner loom will be empty.  The outer loom will have 2 loops on all remaining pegs.  Hook over the lower loop so that there is just one loop remaining.

Place the darning needle on the yarn tail.  Go around loom picking up the remaining stitches and placing them onto the yarn.  Once they are all on the yarn, you can remove the hat from the loom.  This will be the gathered top of hat.

BAND FOR BRIM (a separate piece)

Cast On 52 stitches in Stockinette.  Lay anchor yarn of contrast color #5 or #6 yarn.  Work 8 rnds in Stockinette stitch.  Bind off loosely with crochet hook.  Remove from loom.

Setting the band:  Lay hat flat and match the band to edge of hat.  They will be same length and both have an anchor yarn.  Cut a piece of yarn 25” long and place on darning needle to sew the pieces together.  Start at any point and pick up the loop on hat anchor yarn and then the loop on the band anchor yarn.  Be careful to not grab the fiber of the anchor yarn.  Keep alternating from hat to band, picking up the next loops.  Go around the entire hat.  Once all the loops are on the yarn, the anchor yarns can be gently pulled out.  Your joined pieces will look like this.

You will see that this creates a ‘hinge’ for which the band will fold over and not look rolled-it will stay in place.  The hat can still always be worn with the band turned down, if desired.

Return to top of hat and turn hat inside out.  Gently gather the 22 stitches with attached yarn for a smooth fitting top of hat.  Sew securely with yarn and darning needle to close in the top opening.  Knot yarn, trim ends, and weave ends into knit.  Trim any remaining yarn tails and weave into knit to complete.