Yesterday, we started our series of four hats in four days series with the elegant and simple Pike Street Hat. At just under two hours to knit, it’s done and I’m ready for my next super chunky hat, the Pomfret a free pattern by Lion Brand Yarn. Free Pomfret Hat Pattern. I’ve decided to go with the recommended yarn, Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. You need just one ball to make this hat, so grab your pattern and yarn to join me in this quick, cozy knit.

Day two – Pomfret Hat

Like yesterday, before we cast on a Pomfret Hat let’s look over the yarn details.

Yarn Wool Ease Thick & Quick – color Bedrock

Weight Super Bulky

Amount 140g [4.9oz]

Yardage 80m [87yds)]

Fiber content 80% Acrylic, 20% Wool

Machine Washable Yes!

Machine Drying Yes!

Yesterday, I taught you how to use the information on yarn labels, check out that post if you need to look it over again. Since I’m using the exact yarn called for in the pattern, I can go straight to the pattern to find out what else I need to finish this project. If you’re substituting another yarn for your hat, make sure the weight, amount, and yardage are close to what is listed above so you can get the required gauge.

Now, onto the pattern details.

skill level Easy (beginner) – knitting in the round, knit, purl, K2tog

finished measurements 20” [50cm] circumference

materials

yarn

• 1 ball of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick – color Bedrock

needles

• Set of 5, US 15 [10mm] DPNs, and size 15 [10mm] 16” circular needle

notions

• Clover Jumbo Locking Stitch Ring Markers
• Clover Tapestry Needles Jumbo
• UNIQUE SEWING Retractable measuring tape
• scissors
• thread and needle
• CLOVER Pom-Pom Makers Extra Large

Note: It takes 5 minutes to make a pompom using Clover Pom-Pom Maker! We describe it in detail with step-by-step photos in our earlier post, A knitted beanie is enhanced by twisting stitches in the ribbing

gauge 9sts = 4” [10cm] in Stockinette Stitch knit in the round

Again, if you’d like to learn more details about how to use this pattern information, pop back to information on yarn labels. There’s also, if you need it, a link to my video tutorial for the K2tog technique in that post as well. The 10mm circular needle is for the brim and body of the hat and the DPN’s (double pointed needles) are for the crown. Make sure your stitch marker is large enough to slip over a 10mm needle. The jumbo pompom maker is optional, because I’m going to share with you how I made my own DIY pompom maker, so you can too. Who knew that something I learned from my mom in my childhood would come in so handy today!

Ready, set…wait a minute

Unlike the Pike Street hat, I wasn’t sure about following this pattern exactly. The tween girl in the photo made me wonder if this hat would fit an adult. I’m usually a woman’s medium size. Since there were no finished measurements, I couldn’t be certain of the size, so I started my hat with 60sts instead of 40 sts. I should’ve done the math based on my gauge, because it ended up being way too big! I frogged it and started again with 52sts. NOPE! Then I tried 48sts for the cast on. That was only slightly too big, so if you’re trying to knit a woman’s large or men’s medium size, you may want to cast on 48sts. Just note that if you make this larger size, you’ll only need to increase 1st when you move from the ribbed brim to the stockinette stitch in the ‘Hat’ section for a total of 49 sts.

Ultimately, I went back to the original pattern, and cast on 40 sts. This ended up giving me a finished circumference of 8¾“ [22cm]. This hat has a lot of stretch, so it could be worn on a head a couple of inches bigger or smaller. The height of the hat did not permit me to roll up the brim like the girl in the photo, but with such a bulky yarn I wouldn’t want to wear it rolled up anyways.

Ok, now you’re ready to cast on! This pattern is pretty straight forward – ribbed brim, stockinette body and crown. Just like the Pike Street hat, when the crown decrease is too small for the circular, you can switch to DPNs or use a long circular and the Magic Loop technique (video tutorial). I used a 10mm 32” circular and magic loop for the crown because I didn’t have the right size DPNs. This hat took me less than two hours to knit, but making the pompoms with a DIY jumbo pompom maker added a lot more time. However, it also added a lot more fun!

How to make a DIY jumbo pompom

Here’s a simple DIY for making a jumbo pompom.

1. Trace a circle of about a 6” [15cm] onto cardboard. I used a jumbo paper towel roll.
2. In the center of the large circle, draw another circle with a 2” [5cm] diameter.
3. Cut out the center holes. Holding the two cardboard rings together, make a single cut through them.
4. Wrap the yarn around both rings held together. Use a lot of yarn wrapped close together. Cut the end of the yarn.
5. Cut an 8” [17.5cm] length of yarn and put aside. Place the tips of your scissors in between the two rings of the cardboard and cut the yarn all the way around the outer circle.
6. Leave the cut strands inside the pompom hole.
7. Careful not to disturb the strands of yarn in the center of the pompom maker, gently slide the long strand of yarn between the two pieces of cardboard and tie very tightly around the strings of the pompom.
8. Remove the pompom from the cardboard, fluff, and trim any uneven ends.
9. Don’t cut the two long strands of the yarn used to tie off the pompom – use these ends to tie the pompoms on the hat.

It may take a few tries to get your pompoms right, but you can do it!

Once you have your pompoms ready, use a couple of locking stitch markers to decide where you want to place them on your Pomfret hat. I folded my hat in half and shifted the markers until they seemed evenly situated on either side of the crown.

Sew the pompoms in place by threading the two long ends of the pompom tie into the marked spots on the hat. Then you can tie a single knot, and tightly weave in your ends. Make sure you pull really tight, or your pompom will be too floppy. Weave in all your other ends, stand back, and admire your adorable and trendy new hat!

2 hats down, 2 to go!

Alright, second hat done with Lion Brand Yarn Wool Ease Thick & Quick yarn! We’ve got three more to go. Tomorrow we explore a little bit of texture knitting with the Basketweave Hat. This hat is super chunky, quick, and easy to knit! See you tomorrow for the cast on of our third hat!

This is part 3 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 2: Knitting the classic chunky Pike Street Hat (beginner)

The post Pomfret Hat, double the pompoms, double the fun (free pattern) appeared first on KNITmuch.