Hats are the best. A great way to learn to knit (or crochet!), pick up new skills, add variety to your queue, get that “I made it!” feeling fast. And of course, they don’t require a lot of yarn and they’re the perfect handmade gifts: The receiver is wowed with something you made yourself — without your spending a month or more making it! For this round of the holiday hat knitting cheat sheet, as I did with our Fringe Hatalong Series a few years ago (6 free patterns), I’ve organized it by the skills involved, from what I think of as the simplest to most challenging. You may dispute the order, and of course there’s no requirement that you knit them all or in this sequence, but if you’re looking for some fun patterns for charity or holiday gift knitting, and the chance to maybe pick up some new skills in the process, check out these gems that have caught my eye this year—
1: Crochet!
The Dawn Hat by Brandi Harper
2: A little bit of slip-stitch (plus folded brim)
Understory by Alyssa Coffey
3: Slip-stitch faux cables
September Hat by Caroline Dick (free pattern, and there’s more where that came from)
4: Mosaic x 3 (aka 2-color slip-stitch)
Incise by Hunter Hammersen
5: A spot of cabling
Northern Peak by Jill Zielinski
6: 2-color stranded knitting
Eye Catcher Hat by Jennifer Berg
7: Brioche rib
Hester’s Hat by Lori Versaci
8: Brioche basketry
Baskets of Brioche Hat by Lavanya Patricella
9: Lace
Penny Hat by Tin Can Knits
10: Lace + bobbles!
York by Courtney Kelley (see also)
And for lots more gift knitting ideas and pattern roundups, give this page a scroll!
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