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Puzzled Hat – Free Knitting Pattern

When you find a color changing yarn that does the work for you, sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. And that’s what I did here. Knit one, purl one ribbing, and a stockinette body makes this hat a great “first” hat if you’ve never made one before. It’s quick to work up and really stretchy, so it fits a wide variety of sizes.

Adding a Pom Pom to the hat is optional, of course, but I think it finishes the hat off nicely. You can use the cardboard method of making a Pom pom, or you can get yourself a pom pom maker, which I highly recommend! They make it incredibly easy to make really nice looking pom poms. One trick I do use to keep my pom poms from coming apart is to knot them using upholstery thread instead of yarn, and I pull really really tight. Then I knot again. Then use those thread ends to sew the pom pom to your hat in several places to keep it stable.

The Premier Puzzle yarn worked up so nicely, I made a matching cowl! You can find that pattern here: Puzzled Cowl – Free Knitting Pattern

Have a luxurious animal fiber yarn you were thinking about for this project? Awesome! Chances are, however, when you wash or wet your hat, it’s going to grow. SO, you have two choices. You can swatch, block, take gauge and see HOW much your hat is going to grow and go down in needle size or multiple count accordingly, OR you can go down one needle size and/or yarn weight and play the game I like to call “I wonder who this will fit?”

Happy knitting!

Puzzled Hat – Free Knitting Pattern

Supplies:

Size 9 – 16” Circular Knitting Needles
Size 10 – 16” Circular Knitting Needles
Size 10 DPN’s
Approx. 150 Bulky Weight Yarn (5)
Optional: Large Clover Pom Pom Maker (the green one)

Gauge and Measurements:

7 stitches and 11 rows in 2” stockinette stitch
One size fits most (it’s very forgiving in it’s sizing)

Notes:

Add or substract multiples of 8 stitches to make the hat larger or smaller.

Can be worn slouchy style or with brim folded up.

Abbreviations:
CO – Cast On
K – Knit
K2tog – Knit two together
P – Purl
St(s) – stitch(es)
Rep – Repeat

Let’s begin!

With size 9 – 16” circulars, CO 64
Join to work in the round

1. K1, P1 around

2. – 10. Rep 1

11 – 44. With size 10 – 16” circulars, K around
(Knit until piece measures approximately 8” to 9” from bottom edge).

If you are knitting for a teen, you might want to continue on to round 45 after 8”, if you are knitting for an adult male, knit closer to 9” from edge before moving on to round 45.

45. K6, K2tog around

46. K around

47. K5, K2tog around

48. K around

49. K4, K2tog around

50. K around

51. K3, K2tog around

52. K around

53. K2, K2tog

54. K around

55. K1, K2tog around

56. K2tog around

57. K around

58. K2tog around

Leaving a 6 to 9” tail, cut yarn. Weave tail through live stitches and pull to close hole. Weave in ends.
Add Pom Pom if desired.