How to knit a roll brim hat - any size!

I love yarn. I love to touch it, squeeze it, put it against my skin. Unfortunately, I fall in love with yarn very often and want to buy a skein or two with no known project in mind, especially if it's on sale. Our LYS has had some killer sales and I have been trying. really. hard. to. stay. away.

Recently, my little guy lost TWO of his hats, yes TWO within one weekend. Ok, I think I lost the second one, but like his mother, he has a habit of leaving his things here and there. Unfortunately, he only had two hats. He was sick with a cold and I couldn't, in my right mind as a good mother, send him to school without a hat!! So, I needed a quick and easy hat pattern to knit up.  I haven't made one of these roll-brimmed-hats in a while, and it's sooooo super easy and fast. So I figured I'd share my way of making one:


Materials:

• Yarn
• Place markers
• Darning needle 
• Same size 16" circular needles and double pointed needles

Instructions: 

1) Choose a yarn: I had a skein of Paton's chunky left over in my stash:

2) Grab a pair of 16 inch circular needles, the size suggested on the yarn is a good one to start with:

This yarn suggests US 10 needles

3) Knit a gauge: I got 4 stitches per inch on size US 10 circular needles.

Now measure said person's head: My four year old's head circumference was 20 inches, and I subtracted 2 inches for a negative ease (18). The hat will stretch and I wanted it to be snug.

18  (Measurement - negative ease for stretch)  X 4 (number of stitches per inch in my guage)  = 72


4) CAST ON 72 stitches to circular needles.
If you're just learning to knit, you could watch this video on how to cast on.

5) Place marker to indicate start of round.  Join yarn so that you are knitting in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.

You tube has a great video on how to do this here if you've never knitted in the round on circular needles before.

6) Place a marker every 8 stitches.

I like to have a number that is a multiple of 8 or 10, so that I could decrease evenly. For example, if I measured the person's head to be 20 inches, 20 x 4 (stiches per inch in my gauge) and got 80, then I would place markers every 10 stitches.  If you come up with a number that is not a multiple of 8 or 10, then you could either round up or down to decide your number of stitches to cast on.


7) Knit all rounds until your piece measures at least 6 inches from the brim to the top. Remember that the brim could roll, so if you want to be cautious, then you could knit another inch or two.

8) Start decrease. Before each marker that is placed, knit 2 together.  Do this until rounds are getting tight on your circular needles. This is when you will need to switch to double pointed needles.

Here is a video on how to use double pointed needles.

9) Separate stitches evenly on double pointed needles.

10) Keep knitting until you have four stitches on your needles. Cut yarn 6 inches long, and weave through four stitches while stitches remain on double pointed needles.

11) Remove stitches from double pointed needles. With yarn to pull top closed.  Weave in ends.

12) Voila, you're done!

I am happy to say, that my little guy's favorite hat is this one! Good luck, happy knitting!