Whit's Knits: Cozy Ear Flap Hat
No one's fond of cold ears and we're all pretty averse to icy wind blowing down their canals. So, here is a hat designed to protect these most vital appendages.
And you know that swathe at the back of your head that gets ignored by both hat and scarf? This hat covers that too! These are important practical issues but certainly not excuses to be uncute. In fact, these concerns for warmth and comfort may have inspired our sassiest hat yet!
For toastiness and style I turned to Purl Soho's Super Soft Merino. This is one yarn you'll welcome right up against your ears. Itch-free and wonderfully sumptuous, it also happens to make the best pom poms ever. So don't leave the top of your Cozy Ear Flap Hat out in the cold!
Make your ears happy!
UPDATE: We've added new sizes! Now the Cozy Ear Flap is sized for everyone from little babies to big papas! -Whitney, April 19, 2013
The Materials
- Hat Only: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho's Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. These colors, from the left, are Heirloom White, Oyster Gray and Yellow Yellow.
- Hat and Different Color Pom Pom: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) skein(s) for the hat; and 1 skein for either size pom pom.
- Hat and Same Color Big Pom Pom: 2 skeins for any size hat with a big pom pom in the same color as the hat.
- Hat and Same Color Small Pom Pom: 1 (1, 2, 2, 2) skein(s) for a hat with a small pom pom in the same color as the hat.
- US #11, 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US #11 double pointed needles
- A stitch holder (optional)
- A Size I (5.5 mm) crochet hook
- A pom pom maker, either Clover's Pom Pom Maker- Large or Susan Bates' Pom Pom Maker
The Pattern
Gauge
3 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch
Sizes
Baby (Child's Small, Child's Large/Woman's Small, Woman's Large/Man's Small, Man's Large)
Finished Measurements
14 (16, 18, 20, 22) inches in circumference. The hat is meant to fit snugly.
Pattern Notes
When the pattern says to "make 1 left purlwise": Pick up the yarn between the last stitch you knit and the one you're about to knit just as you would for a regular make 1 right, bringing the needle from back to front.
Then purl into the front of the stitch.
When the pattern says to "make 1 right purlwise": Pick up the yarn between the last stitch you knit and the one you're about to knit just as you would for a regular make 1 left, bringing the needle from front to back.
Then purl into the back of the stitch.
(The photos in this pattern show the Child's Large/Woman's Small size.)
Left Ear Flap
With the circular needles, cast on 3 (5, 5, 5, 7) stitches.
Row 1 (right side): K1 (2, 2, 2, 3), make 1 right (m1r), k1, make 1 left (m1l), k1 (2, 2, 2, 3). [5 (7, 7, 7, 9) stitches]
Row 2 (wrong side): Purl.
Row 3: K2 (3, 3, 3, 4), m1r, k1, m1l, k2 (3, 3, 3, 4). [7 (9, 9, 9, 11) stitches]
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: K3 (4, 4, 4, 5), m1r, k1, m1l, k3 (4, 4, 4, 5). [9 (11, 11, 11, 13) stitches]
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: K1, m1r, knit to end of row. [10 (12, 12, 12, 14) stitches]
Row 8: Purl to last stitch, make 1 left purlwise (see Pattern Notes), p1. [11 (13, 13, 13, 15) stitches]
Sizes Child's Large/Woman's Small, Woman's Large/Man's Small, and Man's Large Only
Rows 9 and 10: Repeat Rows 7 and 8. [— (—, 15, 15, 17) stitches]
Sizes Woman's Large/Man's Small and Man's Large Only
Rows 11 and 12: Repeat Rows 7 and 8. [— (—, —, 17, 19) stitches]
All Sizes
Cut the yarn and put the Left Ear Flap on a stitch holder (or scrap yarn).
Right Ear Flap
With the circular needle, cast on 3 (5, 5, 5, 7) stitches.
Repeat Rows 1-5 of Left Ear Flap. [9 (11, 11, 11, 13) stitches]
Row 6: P1, make 1 right purlwise (see Pattern Notes), purl to end of row. [10 (12, 12, 12, 14) stitches]
Row 7: Knit to last stitch, m1l, k1. [11 (13, 13, 13, 15) stitches]
Sizes Child's Large/Woman's Small, Woman's Large/Man's Small, and Man's Large Only
Rows 8 and 9: Repeat Rows 6 and 7. [— (—, 15, 15, 17) stitches]
Sizes Woman's Large/Man's Small and Man's Large Only
Rows 10 and 11: Repeat Rows 6 and 7. [— (—, —, 17, 19) stitches]
All Sizes
Next Row: With the purl side facing you, use a Cable Cast On to cast on 7 (7, 9, 9, 11) stitches.
With the purlside still facing you, purl to the end of the row. [18 (20, 24, 26, 30) stitches]
Joining the Ear Flaps
Knit the 18 (20, 24, 26, 30) stitches of the Right Ear Flap.
Then, making sure the knit side of both pieces are facing you, knit the first stitch of the Left Ear Flap to join the pieces.
Knit to the end of the Left Ear Flap. [29 (33, 39, 43, 49) stitches]
The Nape
Row 1: Purl.
Row 2: K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1. (2 stitches decreased)
Rows 3 and 4: Repeat Rows 1 and 2. [25 (29, 35, 39, 45) stitches]
Turn the work so the purl side is facing you, and use a Cable Cast On to cast on 17 (19, 19, 21, 21) stitches..
Joining Into Round
Turn the work so the knit side is facing you and, being careful to not twist the stitches, place a marker and join for working in the round. [42 (48, 54, 60, 66) stitches]
Knit until piece measures 4 1/4 (4 1/4, 4 1/4, 4 1/2, 4 1/2) inches from the last cable cast on edge. On the final round, place a marker after every 7 (8, 9, 10, 11) stitches. (5 additional markers placed)
The Crown
Note: Change to double pointed needles when you have too few stitches to fit on the circular needle.
Decrease Round: *Knit to 2 stitches before marker, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. (6 stitches decreased)
Knit 1 round.
Repeat last two rounds 2 (3, 4, 5, 6) more times. [24 stitches]
Repeat Decrease Round every round 3 times. [6 stitches]
Cut the yarn and thread it through the 6 remaining stitches.
Weave in the ends.
Crochet Edge
Make a single crochet edge around the entire hat. Orient the hat so it is upside down and the back of the hat is facing you, start anywhere with a chain 1.
Make one single crochet for every stitch or row around the whole hat. Slip stitch into the beginning chain, cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.
Pom Pom
For the smaller size pom pom use either the 2 1/2-inch template from the Clover pom pom maker or the green one from the Susan Bates kit. And for the larger pom pom, use either the 3 3/8-inch Clover template or the yellow Susan Bates one. (If you need help with your Susan Bates Pom Pom Maker, check out our Pom Pom Tutorial right here!)
Bring the tails of the pom pom into the inside center top of the hat. Tie a knot and weave in the ends.
Weave in any remaining ends and you're done!
March 10, 2013
Reader Comments (9)
I am new to knitting and I'm wondering if there is an alternate cheaper brand of yarn that would give the same effect, I'm having a difficult time finding the Sister brand of wool.
Here is a link to all our bulky yarn options: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/3-knitting-crochet-yarn?filters[]=8
Hope you find something you like!
Laura.
Could I substitute some leftover Swans Island worsted for this pattern? I'm new enough to knitting to be unsure about substituting anything without expert advice!
Thanks!
The Swans Island Worsted is too thin for this project, unfortunately. You might want to check out the Big Rib Thank You Hat here, http://www.purlbee.com/thank-you-hats/
It uses Swan's Island Worsted!
Thank you!
Molly
We do have plans to size this pattern down, although I'm not sure if we'll get to it this spring or next fall. If you stay posted, we should have something for you in the near to not-too-distant future!
Thanks for asking!
Whitney
It's going t be a featured find tomorrow on the at play blog
www.atplayonline.com
I hope you'll stop by
Megan