Looking for the easiest knit hat pattern? This hat is knit flat on two needles, so no circular or double pointed needles required!

A lot of people are intimidated by knitting in the round. I know I was for a long time! That’s why I created the Easiest Ever Knit Hat pattern – so you can knit with two straight needles and still knit hats!

Design Story and Inspiration for the Easiest Ever Knit Hat Pattern

I have a few knit hat patterns on the blog and I have had several requests for a hat that was knit on two needles.

A popular technique in crochet is to work the hat side to side and then sew the seam closed and cinch the top, so I thought – why not do that with knit??

So I tried it, not knowing until the end if it was going to turn out the way I envisioned – and it did!! Wow, I love this method of making knit flat hats and I’m planning a design with a cabled brim now.

I designed this as part of the 2024 Holiday Maker’s Challenge, where we encourage each other to work to our holiday deadline. There are a few criteria for our patterns in the challenge, which are:

1. Uses stash yarn

2. Is easy to intermediate

3. Is small so it doesn’t take a long time to make (we have a lot of gifts to make, okay?)

4. Is well received by gift recipients

About the Yarn

I chose Lion Brand Hue + Me because it’s one of my favorite bulky yarns (size 5). It works up quickly, feels great, is easy to care for, and comes in great coordinating colors.

If you would like to substitute, any size 5 yarn that gets gauge should work.

Here is the original adult version I made a few years ago in Color Made Easy yarn (which has been discontinued). The smaller version I made for this year’s challenge and you can see the gorgeous blue in the other pics!

Knit Hat Pattern Details

This hat can easily be adjusted because of the nature of how it is made. You can also choose to wear it with the brim down or turned up.

The brim is 7 sts and could be kept the same for any size. The body of the hat is simple Stockinette and you can adjust the height with this part of the hat.

The number of stitches you cast on is the height of the hat. I wanted my hat to be around 8-8.5″ tall for the adult size after I cinched it closed, so I worked the number of stitches needed (use the gauge information to calculate stitches per inch and then multiply by desired hat height).

Then I worked in my stitch pattern (Stockinette for the body, Seed Stitch for the brim) until it was the desired circumference. An average adult hat is 20″ so I kept knitting until my piece was 20″ long from the beginnning. For the smaller size I worked until 18″.

Easy peasy!

So, if you wanted a hat that was 5″ tall and 15″ around you would figure out how many stitches you would need to make 5″ and cast on that number, then work in stitch pattern until piece was 15″ from beginning.

Adult size:

Easiest Ever Knit Hat

What You’ll Need

Yarn: Lion Brand Color Made Easy, 1 skein Mineral Yellow (for original size, discontinued). I used Lion Brand Hue + Me for the child size and it got the same gauge.

Needles: US Size 10.5 (6.50mm)

Notions: Yarn needle, scissors

Gauge: 15 sts and 20 rows = 4″ in Stockinette stitch

Finished Size: Approximately 18 (20)” circumference to fit child (adult)

Stitch Abbreviations
Knit (k)
Purl (p)

Knit Hat Pattern

Cast on 24 (27) sts, leaving a long tail for seaming.

Row 1: (K1, p1) 2 (3) times, k to end.

Row 2: P19 (20), (k1, p1) 2 (3) times, k1.

Repeat rows 1-2 until 18 (20)” or desired circumference.

Bind off, leaving a long tail for seaming.

Knit Hat Pattern Finishing

Thread yarn needle with the long tail left from the bind off and use the mattress stitch to seam short edges together, forming a tube.

Thread yarn needle with long tail left at beginning and run yarn through rows on top of hat, pull tightly to close. This will not close the hat completely, so you will need to use the tail end to help sew the top shut.

Add a pom pom if desired at this top point.

Weave in ends.

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That’s it!! I’m telling you, it’s the Easiest Ever Knit Hat Pattern! Absolutely NO decreasing and NO double pointed needles!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this free knitting pattern. Be sure to check out the rest of my free knitting patterns here.

Happy Knitting!
Amanda