Hats · Beginner

Slouchy hat

Knitted just like the beanie, only longer: the extra depth above the head is what makes it slouch. One rectangle with a turned hem at the brim, every other stitch moved before the crown is gathered, and one seam at the back.

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Virtual test knit

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Every 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.

121 rows and 18,720 stitches knitted, 78 stitches transferred, 0 held-needle passes: no dropped stitch, no hole, no lost loop, every stitch cast off or secured at the end.

Measured on the simulated pieces
Measurement	Should be	Simulated
Hat circumference	50–54 cm	✓ 52 cm
Hat height, brim to crown	26–28 cm	✓ 27 cm
Crown: stitches left to gather (cm of fabric)	0–27 cm	✓ 26 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	Child 4–8 years	Women / teen	Men
Head circumference	51 cm	56 cm	60 cm
Hat depth, brim to crown	24 cm	27 cm	28 cm

You will need

Yarn: A soft wool or wool blend with some drape, so the crown falls rather than stands up: 4-ply / fingering on a standard machine, DK on mid gauge, worsted on bulky.

About 55 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 156 sts, 121 rows. Flat size about 52 × 27 cm.

Row by row

Bring 156 needles into work (L78 to R78). 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 12 rows at MT−1, 1 row at MT+2 (the fold line) and 12 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 026). Remove the waste yarn later.
Knit 93 rows at MT (RC 119).
Move every other stitch onto its neighbour and put the empty needles out of work (156 → 78 sts). Knit 2 rows (RC 121).
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.

Bed chart

Row 1 is at the bottom. Arrows mark the transfers; the key under the chart names each colour.

Needle notation

Step 1 at the bottom; only the needles around the changes are shown.

Row sequence (5)

Rows	What the carriage knits	Tension
1–12	Stocking stitch	MT−1
13	Stocking stitch	MT+2
14–25	Stocking stitch	MT−1
26–119	Stocking stitch	MT
120–121	Stocking stitch	MT

Opens a copy of this piece as an editable bed chart in your browser.

Finishing

Pull the gathering yarn tight and fasten it securely on the inside.
The hat is knitted flat: 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, letting the crown fall to the back.

Notes and changes

The depth is a starting value, about 6 cm more than a beanie for the same head: add more for a deeper slouch, take some off for a neater fit.
Knit the swatch and the hat one or two tension numbers looser than for a beanie: the softer fabric drapes better. Measure the gauge on that swatch.

What the words mean

Short rows (引返): knitting only some of the needles for a few rows while the others wait. The middle grows taller than the sides, which makes a cup: that is how the heel and toe of a sock get their curve.
Hold: the needle position for short rows: a needle pushed all the way forward keeps its stitch and does not knit while the carriage is set to hold.
Turned hem: a neat double edge: knit a strip, then fold it up and hang its first row back on the needles, so the edge is a fold instead of a raw cast-on.
1×1 rib: one stitch on the main bed, one on the ribber, side by side: the stretchy edge of socks, cuffs and hat brims. Needs a ribber or a double bed.
Decrease / increase: making the piece one stitch narrower or wider at the edge. Fully fashioned means moving the 2 edge stitches in (or out) with a transfer tool, so the edge stays smooth for sewing.
Transfer tool: the small hook (1, 2 or 3 prongs) that lifts stitches off needles and puts them on others.
Waste yarn: a few rows in a spare colour knitted before or after the piece and pulled out later, leaving open loops to hang back or sew.
MT (main tension): the tension dial number of your gauge swatch. MT−1 is one number tighter, MT+2 two numbers looser.
RC (row counter): the counter on the carriage. Set it to 000 after casting on; every step says what it should read when the step is done.
L10 / R10: needle numbers, counted outwards from the middle (0) of the needle bed.
Mattress stitch: the usual way to sew knitted pieces together: you catch the bar between the first two stitches on each side, so the seam disappears.
Duplicate stitch: embroidery that follows a knitted stitch's V shape with a needle and a second colour, so the pattern looks knitted in.

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Slouchy hat

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