Double-Thick, Super-Warm Dulaan Hat Pattern

Billy Bear and his friend Black Bear would like to announce that Norma created this in honor of The Dulaan Project: 

A double-thick, super-easy, super-fast, super-economical, super-warm, super-versatile, super-stretchy (so one size fits a wide range of kids) very cute hat.  This is an easy pattern to use for a hat for the Project.  It took me only a few hours to make, and I used yarn leftovers. 

Here's the pattern:

Use 2 strands of yarn held together throughout, (or one strand of bulky or super-bulky, I suppose).  I used one strand Plymouth Encore worsted in red and one strand Patons Country Garden DK superwash wool in apricot.  You can get creative with stripes, whatever.  You can make it slightly larger by using two strands of worsted weight, and even go up to a size 15 US needle. 

The gauge I got was about 3 stitches to the inch.  Row gauge doesn't really matter. 

US 13 (9 mm) 16-inch circular needle

Cast on 40 stitches.  Join, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Knit all rounds, resulting in a tube shape, 'til the tube reaches 17-18 inches long.  Cut yarn, leaving a piece about 12 inches long.  Thread the yarn through the stitches left on the needle and pull to gather.  It forms a sweet little pinwheel on the top.  See?

Secure.  Cut yarn after weaving it in a bit to make sure it's secure.  Take another piece of yarn and thread it through the cast-on edge on the other end of the tube.  Gather snugly.  Stuff this end up through the tube and attach this gathered bit to the top gathered bit.  Tack with a piece of yarn.  You're done.  You can adorn it if you wish, but I don't think I will. 

This hat can be worn with the brim rolled up or down, and it's very stretchy, yet snug and warm, so the age range it will fit is quite large.  My guess is it will fit ages 2-8, or maybe even up to 10.   It can actually fit on my head, but I have admitted to being a bit of a pinhead.  It fits me so it wouldn't keep me that warm in super-cold weather, as it doesn't cover my ears very well.  But it will fit many a kid really well.

This is how the size, with brim rolled down, compares to an adult-size store-bought ski cap:

Here 'tis, sitting on my desk, cute as can be.  It makes my desk all nice and warm. 

For my next trick, I'm going to do exactly the same thing, but end it at about 13 inches, and seam the edges together to result in a matching double-thick neckwarmer. 

Comments

[Rachael]

Oooh, clever you. Thanks!

[Tara]

What a great idea! You've inspired me to do some stash busting this weekend :)~

[vicky]

Norma, You give the BEST tutorials!!! Thank you!

[Judy]

cute, and a great idea

[Annie]

Really cute!

[Seanna Lea]

That sounds great (I will admit that I was skeptical until you mentioned what you did with the extra length). I have some extra yarns that would work great for that (and I have another Dulaan hat that needs to be finished this weekend).

[Lauren]

I didn't realize you tacked the one end into the other end. It's very adorable. Thinking about a double-thick neckwarmer and double-thick hat is about to cause spontaneous combustion.

[Colleen]

Oh my goodness! What a grrrreeat idea, and what a great stash reducer--thanks.

Just for clarification: the two strands of yarn you held together were finer than worsted? I think of Plymouth Encore as worsted, but then you mentioned that two strands of worsted held together would make a bulker hat.

[Judyo]

Great hat! I'm going to get my daughter and her friends started on some of these for Dulaan at her slumber party this weekend...

[claudia]

Very cute. You designer, you.

[Janine]

All riiiiightttt! This is so going to happen at MY house! I cannot seem to make a dent in my stash-for-Dulaan tote box, but this is going to help.

[Rossana]

Adorable little hat! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

[Celia]

Yes! Very clever and I will be making a few of these with my Dulaan stash, too! Thanks, Norma.

[erin]

ooo I'll make some of these and some of Ken's dulaan hats, and hopefully clear out A LOT of yarn space. Thanks.

[stephanie]

We need to talk less. Clearly I have begun to channel you in a really alarming way. Luckily, you posted first so I am the one who looks like a HUGE ARSE.

[stephanie]

PS. thank god the hats are different or I'd have to throw myself off a cliff.

[Nathalie]

just had to come by after the harlots site and see if you were referring to the wool pigs or the pattern!

Cheers
nat

[Cassie]

More Dulaan ideas. More guilt. Keep it coming.

[binky]

Hawt dog, this is JUST the pattern I need! I wanted an easy-to-create double-knit hat, kept goofing up another pattern, and serendipitously found your site through Yarn Harlot's. Now, to resist the urge to play hooky from my responsibilities and whip up a hat immediately. ("Oh binky girl, the yarn, the yarn is calling...")

[Lisa]

I am going to make this right now for the Dulaan project. Now, I can't quite imagine what you mean by pulling one end through and tacking it to the other but I am hoping when I get to the end, it will be easy enough to figure out?????
I hope so!!
It looks cute and easy which is what I am looking for! Thanks! Lisa

[Anne K.]

Just days after discovering this wonderful hat pattern, I dropped by Michael's to see if, perchance, they might have a size 13 circular in a 16" length (tried it on my size 10 Addi Turbos and it was waaay too tight). Wonder of wonders, they had exactly what I needed -- no LYS in my area, so I was overjoyed not to have to order online and wait. Started my first hat last night and I Love. It. So. Much. Mine won't be for Dulaan, though, so hope you don't mind -- will go to the school in Brooklyn where my daughter starts teaching first grade this fall. Hope to make a stack of them for the teachers to dole out as needed. What I love is the thickness...FINALLY, a way to make acrylic yarn WARM!!! Thanks!

[Sandy]

Does seem like it would go fast. Most of the folks that make hats on the loom I believe use this method, but my question is about the thickness. I think about how warm a hat I knit or crochet is with just one strand and wonder if the double isn't too heavy? Have you actually worn it a while to make a determination? I really like the idea of being able to turn it up or down and not have the roll that you would have if knit without having to do ribbing which takes more time.

The hat you show underneath it with the cute tuke (sp) look to the top, did you make a crochet chain out the top and do a tassel to get that effect...it's darling.

Popped into your blog from Red Scarf, where I was reading about the updates.
Sandy

[Sandy]

Thanks for response, didn't realize Dulaan was a location, thought it was the name of the person who wrote the pattern. With where you're sending it, guess you need it to be that thick. Any thoughts on whether or not thats good, bad or indifferent for here in the states?

Knitting as I read blogs this am, you can pop back to above blog or stop in to see pics of some projects at my other blog

http://4ccccs.blogspot.com/