Easy Earflap Hat

I had been trying for a while to work out how to use shortrows to fashion earflaps for this hat which I had in my head. Somehow I couldn't quite get my brain to come up with something that actually worked. I happened to be browsing through Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitters Almanac and I found her Maltese Fishermans Hat. Now this particular hat didn't do anything for me, as it's rather pointy, and I don't really like pointy, and the decreases spiral around the hat, making it even more pointy-looking. However, she has used shortrows to shape the earflaps and I realised that one needs to work them at the same time, before you work the body of the hat, joined to some of of neck shaping, rather than as part of the body of the hat (don't ask, it looks even worse than it sounds-which is why my prototypes never saw the light of day).

I made this hat to fit a 3-ish year old, or someone with a head circumference of 48-ish cm.

I used 8ply yarn and 4.5mm needles, and my gauge is 20st to 10cm. This hat is worked flat for the earflap portion, then is joined in the round to work to the crown. You will need a circular needle, with a long cable if you use the magic loop technique, or a 40cm cable and a set of dpns to finish the crown if you don't.

Yarn: any 8ply or DK

gauge: 20st to 10cm

needles:4.5mm

Instructions.

Cast on 56st.

Row 1: Sl1, kfb, K to last 2 st, kfb, K1.
Row 2: Sl1, K to end.

Rpt rows 1&2 5 times (66 st)

Work 4 rows K, slipping the first st of each row.

Work short rows as follows:

K15, turn, Sl1, K to end
K13, turn, Sl1, K to end
K11, turn, Sl1, K to end
K9, turn, Sl1, K to end
K7, turn, Sl1, K to end
K8, turn, Sl1, K to end
K10, turn, Sl1, K to end
K12, turn, Sl1, K to end
K14, turn, Sl1, K to end

Knit one row.

Repeat short rows as above.
Work 3 rows knit, slipping the first st of each row.


Next row: Sl1. K 25, kfb 4 times, K26, cast on 20. (90 st)

Join to work in the round.

Work in stst until the body of the hat measures 10 cm from the front cast-on stitches. You may work a garter st band over the front 20 cast on stitches for 3 or 4 rows to prevent rolling, or you may prefer the rolled look.

When the hat measures 10 cm at the front commence decreases as follows:
Place marker at centre back. Change to dpns when required, if not using magic loop method.

Round 1: *K7, k2tog* rpt from *to *
Round 2: K to end
Round 3: *K6, k2tog* rpt from *to *
Round 4: K to end
Round 5: *K5, k2tog* rpt from * to *
Round 6: K to end
Round 7: *K4, k2tog* rpt from * to *
Round 8: K to end
Round 9: *K3, k2tog* rpt from *to *
Round 10: K to end
Round 11: *K2, k2tog* rpt from * to *
Round 12: K to end
Round 13: *K1, K2tog rpt from * to *
Round 14: K to end
Round 15: K2tog to end

Cut yarn with a long tail. Use a darning needle to thread end of yarn through live stitches on needles. Slip stitches off needles, pull yarn tight to close the gap and weave in end securely.

If you make one, why not make 2 and send one to Winterwarm? click the button on this page.