Easy Flat-Knit Hat on Straight Needles (Seamed)

A flat knit hat is worked back and forth on two straight needles as one shaped piece, then sewn up the back. There is no joining in the round and no change of needles at the top, so it suits anyone who has knit a scarf or a dishcloth and wants a first hat. This version has a knit 2, purl 2 ribbed brim, a stockinette body and a crown shaped in eight sections.

What you need

• Yarn: worsted weight (4) wool or wool blend, about 160 yd (146 m). This is an estimate; buy a little extra.
• Needles: US 6 (4 mm) straight needles for the brim and US 8 (5 mm) straight needles for the body, at least 10 in (25 cm) long.
• Notions: tapestry needle, scissors, tape measure, and a removable marker or safety pin to mark the right side.

Gauge and finished size

Gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows = 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on US 8 (5 mm) needles. That is 4.5 stitches per inch. Check it with a swatch before starting; the guide to a gauge swatch for hats shows how to measure.

Finished size: about 19.5 in (49.5 cm) around and 8.5 in (21.5 cm) tall. It fits a typical adult medium head of about 21 to 22.5 in (53 to 57 cm) with 1.5 to 3 in (4 to 7.5 cm) of negative ease. Measure the wearer’s head if possible.

The math: 90 stitches are cast on. One stitch at each edge disappears into the seam, leaving 88 stitches around, and 88 ÷ 4.5 = about 19.5 in.

Abbreviations

• CO: cast on
• k: knit
• p: purl
• k2tog: knit 2 stitches together (1 stitch decreased)
• st/sts: stitch/stitches
• RS: right side, the smooth side that faces out when the hat is worn
• WS: wrong side, the bumpy inside

These follow the Craft Yarn Council’s standard knitting abbreviations.

The pattern

Brim

With US 6 (4 mm) needles, CO 90 sts loosely. The first and last stitch of every row are seam stitches.

Row 1 (RS): K1, (k2, p2) 22 times, k1.

Row 2 (WS): P1, (k2, p2) 22 times, p1.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until the ribbing measures 1.5 in (4 cm), about 10 rows, ending after a Row 2. Clip the marker to the side facing you on Row 1 so the right side is easy to find later.

Body

Change to US 8 (5 mm) needles by simply knitting the next row onto one of them.

Next row (RS): Knit all 90 sts.

Next row (WS): Purl all 90 sts.

Repeat these two rows until the piece measures 5.25 in (13.5 cm) from the cast-on edge, ending after a purl row.

Crown

The 88 body stitches are divided into 8 sections of 11, with a seam stitch at each end. Decrease on right-side rows only.

1. Row 1 (RS): K1, (k9, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 82 sts.
2. Row 2 and every WS row: Purl.
3. Row 3: K1, (k8, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 74 sts.
4. Row 5: K1, (k7, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 66 sts.
5. Row 7: K1, (k6, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 58 sts.
6. Row 9: K1, (k5, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 50 sts.
7. Row 11: K1, (k4, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 42 sts.
8. Row 13: K1, (k3, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 34 sts.
9. Row 15: K1, (k2, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 26 sts.
10. Row 17: K1, (k1, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 18 sts.
11. Row 19: K1, (k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 10 sts.

Do not purl back after Row 19. The crown is 19 rows, about 3.25 in (8 cm), which brings the total height to about 8.5 in (21.5 cm).

Finishing

1. Close the top. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about 24 in (60 cm). Thread it onto the tapestry needle and pass it through the 10 stitches on the knitting needle, from the first stitch to the last, then slide the knitting needle out. Pull firmly to gather the top closed.
2. Sew the seam. Fold the piece in half with the right side facing out and the two side edges meeting. Using the same tail and mattress stitch, work from the crown down to the brim: pick up the horizontal bar between the edge stitch and the next stitch on one side, then the matching bar on the other side, and repeat. Pull the yarn snug every inch or so. The edge stitches roll to the inside, and the ribbing continues unbroken across the seam.
3. Weave in the ends. Run each tail through the wrong side for about 2 in (5 cm) and trim.

For more detail on gathering the top, hiding ends and blocking, see how to finish a knit hat.

Ways to adjust it

Change the size

Add or remove stitches in groups of 8 so the ribbing and the crown sections still work out.

Size	Cast on	Finished circumference	Start the crown at
Child / adult small	82 sts	About 17.75 in (45 cm)	Row 3 (sections of 10); count is 74 sts after it
Adult medium	90 sts	About 19.5 in (49.5 cm)	Row 1, as written
Adult large	98 sts	About 21.25 in (54 cm)	An extra first row: K1, (k10, k2tog) 8 times, k1 — 90 sts; purl 1 row, then Row 1

For the small size, work the ribbing repeat 20 times instead of 22 and knit the body to 5 in (12.5 cm). For the large size, work the repeat 24 times and knit the body to 5.5 in (14 cm).

Add a folded cuff or a pom-pom

For a cuff that folds up, work the ribbing for 4 in (10 cm) instead of 1.5 in and knit the body until the piece measures 7.25 in (18.5 cm) from the cast-on edge before starting the crown. With the cuff folded up 2 in (5 cm), the hat is still about 8.5 in (21.5 cm) tall. Allow roughly 30 yd (27 m) more yarn. A pom-pom also hides the gathered point nicely; the steps are in how to make a pom-pom for a hat.

Once this hat is finished, the same numbers work without a seam: a first hat on circular needles uses 88 stitches at the same gauge.