Homemade Hats for Handsome Heads

It warms my heart to be able to warm the heads of those closest to me.

I love knitting hats. Whether they are baby-sized (who even makes circle needles that small!) or large enough to fit my brother’s melon of a noggin, I make them in all shapes, colors, and sizes.

The rhythm of it is calming. Knit two, pearl two repeated around and around the brim. The cozy pattern ripe with the promise to hug broad foreheads. I zone out as I fall into the rhythm, letting my muscle memory take over as the yarn slides deftly from one needle to the other. I knit the hats in the round, circling around time and time again to create the rim. The portion of ribbing must be around 4 inches wide to create a good hold.

At 4 inches, it’s time to work on the body. This part is a straight knit and goes quickly. I circle around and around again, the orange stitch marker counting the passes. I check my work carefully, making sure no stitch is dropped as I start to make headway. If all goes well, I will have a closely-knit section. Often there is a slight imperfection, but I don’t mind those much. It wouldn’t be a homemade item without a little bump here or there.

Fully underway with the body, I add in 3 additional stitch markers spaced evenly apart. Now here is where it gets more complicated. I combine two stitches on either end using two separate techniques. This pattern starts to taper the hat off, making it narrower at the top. I find myself focusing extra hard at this part, not wanting to lose a stitch. Once I reach the top and I’m under 10 stitches, I have to transfer to a trio of needles to finish it off. If I successfully brought it together in the end (it’s not always the case!) I’ll have a solid-looking, homemade warmth machine. Once everything is secured and tied off, I stitch in the tails and carefully snip off the remaining yarn with a small set of sharp scissors.

Each completed hat comes with a feeling of pride. I know I’ve chosen the color and fit of the hat with a specific person in mind, and I hope it keeps them warm through their many adventures - either every day or for special outings such as a birthday trip up to the snow. Knowing that the hats are useful and go a long way to keeping someone warm fills me with joy. A lucky few of my family members are also decked out with a matching scarf to keep them cozy in their colder climates.

The hat I’m most proud of is the one I made for my husband. We began dating just before Christmas and I expertly sidestepped the “are we doing gifts?” awkwardness by handing him something 100% homemade made with care. We all want to show off for our crushes, and I nailed the nerdy but practical gift. He still wears it to this day, although it’s a bit worse for wear after being subjected to the chewing habits of our (then) puppy. We went to the mountains to snowboard and she got her revenge. Served us right for not taking her along.

Every once and a while, I get to revisit my creations. Whether it’s a quick touch-up on the stitching (I never said I was perfect in my technique, especially in the early days) or fixing a gaping hole created by a very cute but very naughty pup, I’m on call for repairs where needed. I never mind touching them up - nothing compares to seeing them well used and well loved.