PurlbedHats · Beginner
Beanie with turned hem
One rectangle with a neat turned hem at the brim. Before gathering, every other stitch is moved onto its neighbour so the crown closes without a lump. It is the quickest way to learn hems, and a good canvas for stripes or a punch-card pattern.
Suits these machines
- Single bed, punch card
- Single bed, electronic
- Single bed, no patterning
- Single bed (punch card) + ribber
- Single bed (electronic) + ribber
- Double bed with pushers (Passap type)
- Double-bed hand flat (V-bed)
Techniques used
Your size, machine and gauge
Virtual test knit
✓ Virtual test knit passedEvery row of every piece on this page has just been knitted on a model of your machine, for the size, machine and gauge you chose. The model follows each needle's loops through transfers, held needles, hems and cast-offs, then measures the finished pieces.
99 rows and 15,092 stitches knitted, 77 stitches transferred, 0 held-needle passes: no dropped stitch, no hole, no lost loop, every stitch cast off or secured at the end.
| Measurement | Should be | Simulated |
|---|---|---|
| Hat circumference | 49–53 cm | ✓ 51.3 cm |
| Hat height, brim to crown | 20–22 cm | ✓ 21 cm |
| Crown: stitches left to gather (cm of fabric) | 0–26.5 cm | ✓ 25.7 cm |
The simulation checks the instructions and the arithmetic. Yarn, tension and blocking still differ from knitter to knitter, so knit the gauge swatch first and type in your own numbers. Knitted one? We would love a photo: support@purlbed.com.
Women / teen · Single bed, punch card · Gauge (stocking stitch, after steaming): 30 sts × 40 rows
Sizes
| Measurement | Baby 6–12 months | Child 4–8 years | Women / teen | Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head circumference | 43 cm | 51 cm | 55 cm | 58 cm |
| Hat height, brim to crown | 14 cm | 18 cm | 21 cm | 22 cm |
| Hem depth | 2.5 cm | 3 cm | 3.5 cm | 3.5 cm |
You will need
Yarn: Any soft wool or wool blend: 4-ply / fingering on a standard machine, DK on mid gauge, worsted on bulky.
About 45 g in total for this size (an estimate from the area of the pieces; buy a little more).
Also: Tapestry needle, Waste yarn and ravel cord, Transfer tool, Optional: pompom maker
Gauge swatch first
- Cast on 40 needles with waste yarn and knit a few rows. Change to the main yarn and choose a tension that gives a fabric you like (see the starting points below).
- Knit 60 rows. Tie a contrast thread to the 11th needle from each side at row 10 and row 50, so the marks are 20 needles and 40 rows apart.
- Knit a few rows of waste yarn and take the swatch off. Steam or wash it the way you will treat the finished piece, and let it rest flat for a few hours.
- Measure between the marks: stitches in 10 cm = 20 ÷ width in cm × 10, rows in 10 cm = 40 ÷ height in cm × 10. Type the two numbers into the gauge boxes above; that tension is your main tension (MT).
Pieces
Hat
Cast on 154 sts, 99 rows. Flat size about 51.3 × 21 cm.
Row by row
- Bring 154 needles into work (L77 to R77). Cast on with waste yarn, knit about 10 rows, 1 row of ravel cord, then change to the main yarn. Set RC to 000.
- Turned hem: knit 14 rows at MT−1, 1 row at MT+2 (the fold line) and 14 rows at MT−1. Hang the loops of the first main-yarn row (just above the waste yarn) back on the needles, then knit 1 row at MT (RC 030). Remove the waste yarn later.
- Knit 67 rows at MT (RC 097).
- Move every other stitch onto its neighbour and put the empty needles out of work (154 → 77 sts). Knit 2 rows (RC 099).
- Cut the yarn leaving about 30 cm. Thread it through every stitch with a tapestry needle, take the stitches off the needles and pull the top closed.
Needle notation
Step 1 at the bottom; only the needles around the changes are shown.
Row sequence (5)
| Rows | What the carriage knits | Tension |
|---|---|---|
| 1–14 | Stocking stitch | MT−1 |
| 15 | Stocking stitch | MT+2 |
| 16–29 | Stocking stitch | MT−1 |
| 30–97 | Stocking stitch | MT |
| 98–99 | Stocking stitch | MT |
Finishing
- Pull the gathering yarn tight and fasten it securely on the inside.
- Sew the back seam with mattress stitch from the crown to the brim, through both layers of the hem.
- Remove the waste yarn, weave in the ends and steam lightly. Add a pompom if you like.
Notes and changes
- The hat is about 4 cm smaller than the head so it stays on; knit the next size, or add 4–6 cm of height, for a slouchy fit.
- Stripes: change colour at the start of a row on the carriage side; carry the yarns up the seam edge.
- For a fold-up brim, add 5–6 cm to the body.
Abbreviations
- MT
- main tension: the tension dial setting of your gauge swatch. MT−1 is one number tighter, MT+2 two numbers looser.
- RC
- row counter. Set it to 000 after the cast on; the steps give the reading at the end of each step.
- sts
- stitches. One working needle holds one stitch.
- L10 / R10
- needle numbers, counted outwards from the centre 0 of the needle bed.
- Hold
- a needle pushed fully forward keeps its stitch and does not knit while the carriage is set to hold.
- Waste yarn
- a contrast yarn knitted before or after the piece and unravelled later, so open loops can be hung or sewn.
- Fully fashioned
- decreasing or increasing 2 stitches in from the edge with a transfer tool, so the edge stays smooth for seaming.
purlbed.com/templates/beanie/ · Virtual test knit passed