It may not feel like it yet, but Fall is coming. It’s a busy season for us knitters: in fall we put out item after item to keep our loved ones and ourselves warm. That does not only hold true for veteran knitters but also for the newbies among us. There are plenty of small accessories that you can practice your knitting skills on. Like these ten lovely and easy hats. All are made of fingering weight yarn and shouldn’t be too warm for the first chilly fall days – and some of these patterns are even free!
1 – Sixty Cables by Gabi Krisztián
This hat features very simple cables in a rib pattern. It’s a great project for learning how to cable – with or without a cable needle. The pattern gives instructions for one possible way of crossing the cable without a needle – I prefer a different method demonstrated here on a 3×3 cable by Staci of VeryPink Knits. Whichever way you choose to use cabling is a lot easier than many people believe and this pattern is a good starting point. The resulting hat is slouchy and very lightweight as you will only need about half a skein. On top of that, the pattern is free to use!
2 – Spin me Right Round, Baby by Surrehue
Another free pattern, another slouchy hat, this time with a simple allover lace pattern. If you haven’t knit lace before, try this hat (or something similar). Great for early fall when it’s not that cold yet. And again you will only need about half a skein. The pattern is one size (like many free patterns), and the designer states that many people said the hat turned out too large. So you might have to make it smaller. Unfortunately, she’s only giving her gauge and not the finished measurements and which head sizes this hat might fit.
3 – Pinwheel Beret by Woolly Wormhead
We are talking hats here, so of course, I had to add at least one pattern by Woolly Wormhead. She has published a ton of amazing hat patterns, and many of her patterns not just fit children or adults but both. That’s a lot of work that goes into sizing right there. I love her designs: They are creative, very wearable and fun! Some even quite whimsical. If you haven’t seen her patterns yet, take a look!
This beret is quite simple but can be worked well with colorful hand-dyed yarns. It comes in multiple sizes, and there are plenty of resources and tutorials on her website. I find her guide on measuring your head and hat sizes very useful, for example. We are a family of large-headed people (mostly me and the wolflings), and I’ve run into problems with hat sizes more than ones, so this truly helps a lot.
4 – A Girl Thing by Joji Locatelli
Another designer I love and greatly admire. Her designs are colorful and very feminine – and I love her photos as well. They don’t just show off the item well so that you can see its shape and style from various angles. They are also all really pretty.
This hat is indeed girly and colorful and just so pretty. It combines simple colorwork (stripes) with a differently colored, lacy crown. It’s great for using up leftover yarn since you won’t need much of either shade. The lace section is small and great for practice, and the stripes give you a chance to play with color. These stripes don’t look like helix stripes so you may want to look into knitting jogless stripes in the round.
The pattern is available for USD 4.50 on Ravelry.
5 – Barley Light by tin can knits
I’ve often told you about The Simple Collection by tin can knits. It’s an excellent starting point for beginners. All the patterns are free, the tutorials are fantastic and easy to follow, and the patterns are simple without being boring.
Barley Light is the fingering weight little brother to the Barley hat, and I’ve linked to both before. The garter stitch panel makes the hat interesting without making it difficult, and it’s a wonderful project for any colorful yarn, whether it’s variegated, speckled or anything else. And it’s available in sizes ranging from baby to adult.
6 – Persian Windows Hat by Sarah Schira
This is a fun hat if you want to play with some color and have some leftovers in small amounts. As in this photo bright, glowing color on a neutral canvas works well, but among the projects, there are plenty of other great examples!
The pattern looks more complicated than it is. You can see the needed skills listed on Ravelry, and it’s all only knit and purl, k2tog, ssk, yo and slipping sts. If you feel confident in your basic knitting skills, give this hat a try!
It’s available on Ravelry for CAD 8.33.
7 – Dragonfly Hat by Nina Machlin Dayton
Knitting the actual Dragonfly Hat is easy enough. It’s just a lot of knit stitch. The tricky bits are the Estonian Vikkel braid that you can see around the edges (might also be a Latvian braid, but I think it looks more like the former) and the sewing. The braid is really beautiful but might be too tricky for a beginner. The technique itself is not that difficult but you should be feeling comfortable with your knits and purls and maybe also cabling without a needle. The way the braid is worked is similar to that (as described in the pattern for Sixty Cables above). But if you’re feeling adventurous, practice the braid first on a little swatch.
I would recommend this hat to everyone who doesn’t mind sewing and isn’t afraid to try and learn something new. Advanced beginner to intermediate. The result is an impressive looking draped hat that’ll suit many women.
The pattern is available for USD 5.95 on Ravelry.
8 – Twice as Nice by Anne Hanson
Anne Hanson is another one of my favorite designers. Her designs are elegant and timeless, and she puts out patterns for everything: shawls, socks, hats, sweaters, gloves, etc.
This hat features both simple cables and simple lace. It’ll be easy for you if you have experience with one or both (cables or lace that is). Again this a pattern directed more at the advanced beginner to intermediate knitter. And it’s made in light fingering weight. So knit a gauge swatch and see if you can reach the intended gauge. Some sock yarns and other yarns sold as fingering weight are actually fine enough to count as light fingering weight.
The pattern is available on Ravelry for USD 7.14.
9 – Scotty by Anne Hanson
This hat is also by Anne Hanson but very different from the one before. No lace or cables this time, just stockinette. But fun none the less. The broad rib band actually looks like a form of basketweave and features a few buttons. And the stitch pattern is well suited even for heavily variegated yarns.
This pattern is a bit easier than the one before and should be well suited even for a beginner. It is available on Ravelry for USD 7.14.
10 – Hermia Hat by Sarah Jordan
The main feature of the Hermia Hat is a panel of traveling stitch on a background of purl in the front offset by plain stockinette for the rest of the hat. The design is beautiful and feminine. And the panel is not too big so that it’s a great project to practice traveling stitches (or cables) with – even for beginners who have the basics down and feel like they can progress beyond garter, rib, and stockinette.
And what’s more, the designer Sarah Jordan also has a matching pattern for fingerless gloves in her store.
The pattern is available for USD 5.95 on Ravelry.
Have you started knitting accessories yet? Are you planning on knitting any new hats? Are you following a pattern or making up your own? Please let me know in the comments below.
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