Hat Frenzy

Since receiving my box of looms a couple of days ago, I have been knitting hats like crazy on my Small Gauge Youth Travel Hat Loom. Well, okay, I've only done two hats, but I've only had the loom since Monday. So it's sort of been a frenzy.


I did this one with Red Heart yarn using only one strand. I love being able to make a hat with only one strand of yarn. I started with the Cable Cast on and did a few rows of K1P1 for a ribbed brim. Then I started my pattern, the same one I used for the baby hats a few posts earlier.

Since the youth size travel hat loom has 74 pegs (which isn't evenly divisible by anything except 2), I had to improvise with my pattern. Look closely above and you'll see one set of blue stripes separated by only one brown stitch instead of two like the others. So I learned on this hat to use a chart to plan my patterns.

This is what I came up with next. I used Microsoft Excel to make a chart, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get it on here. It's really easy though, so I'll try to describe how to do it.

I started with the cable cast on and did a ribbed brim. (By the way, I don't turn up the ribbed brim. I just knit a few rows of K1P1 until I have the length I want, and then I start doing the ewrap or whatever stitch I happen to be using for the hat). I did one row of all black -- next time I would probably do two black rows. Then I started with the pattern:

A. Wrap pegs 1, 2, and 3 with black, skip the fourth peg. Starting with peg 5, wrap four pegs with black and skip one peg all the way around the loom. When you reach the end, start with the red yarn. I started with a long tail that I let hang in the center of the loom (instead of starting with a slip knot on one of the pegs). With the red yarn, wrap all the skipped pegs, carrying the yarn behind the pegs as you go. Knit the bottom loops over the top.

B. For the next row, start wrapping with the red yarn. Wrap peg 1, skip peg 2. For the rest of the row, when you come to a peg with a red loop on it, wrap the peg just before it and just after it and skip the others. You will wrap peg 3, skip 4, wrap peg 5, skip 6 and 7, wrap 8, skip 9, wrap 10, etc, all the way around the loom. When you finish with the red, pick up the black yarn and wrap all skipped pegs. Knit the bottom loops over the top.

C. For the next row, repeat step A.

D. Wrap the next two rows with black yarn.

Repeat A - D until the hat measures the length you want. Then bind off using the gathering method. I purchased a Honeycomb Hat pattern from Denise Layman, and in it she describes a great way to decrease for the top of the hat so it isn't so bulky. I won't describe it here since it's a part of her pattern, but that's how I did the top of this hat. After binding off, weave in all ends and you're finished.

I always ask my boys to try on the hats I make to see who they will fit (I try to label them for youth, adult, etc. when I package them to be donated). My younger son tried this one on and quickly claimed it for himself.


I made one other hat, but this one was done on my 20" AJAL. This is the Sidewinder Hat found at Loom Knit Designs. It was fun to do, and it makes a large hat with a fold-up brim. It took me a while, so I don't know if I'll be making many of these.

Now I have to hop in the shower and get ready for some fun. We're heading up to Baltimore to see the Orioles play Cleveland (I think?). I love baseball games, but this time I think I'll take one of my new scarf looms to keep my hands busy.

Thanks for reading!