This ear-flap style cap is popular among snow-boarders and other outdoor winter sports enthusiasts. You can use the tri-color geometric pattern shown here, create your own pattern, use a striped yarn or go for a solid color--- whatever you’d like!
Since my son attends college in a cold climate, I knitted a 2nd cap as a lining to make it warmer. With right sides together and ties tucked in, do a quick slip stitch around the edges, then flip to turn inside out and Voila!
Yarn
Worsted weight acrylic or merino blend, 3 colors – you’ll need a couple skeins of each major color and 1 skein of the minor color
For the cap pictured here, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky (merino, cashmere, microfiber blend) was used in colors brick, ecru, and slate (these colors may be discontinued)
Needles
Size 8 circular needle, 16 inch length, and 4 Size 8 DPNs, bamboo preferred
Instructions
You will be knitting the cap from the top down to the ear flaps, increasing the number of sts gradually.
Starting with the ecru yarn (or color of your choice), cast on 4 sts to 1 DPN. Knit into the front and back of each stitch (KFB) to make 8 sts.
Slip 2 sts onto each of the other 3 DPNs, so you now have 8 sts total on 4 needles. Join the sts together into a circle, by tying the loose yarn to the free end. KFB of each st again to make 16 sts.
For round 3, KFB, K1, repeat for entire round bringing the st count to 24.
For round 4, KFB, K2, repeat for entire round bringing the st count to 36.
To continue increasing the hat diameter, you will work the following pattern until you’ve reached the right size. (For a medium sized adult hat, you’ll work to 84 sts total).
For odd rounds, starting with round 5, K all sts
For even rounds, you will add an extra K stitch between each KFB st to spread out the increase in sts.
So, for round 6, the pattern will KFB, K3, KFB, K3 etc..
For round 8, the pattern will be KFB, K4, KFB, K4
For round 10, the pattern will be KFB, K5, KFB, K5 etc…
Get it? Remember that every other round (odds) will be K all the way around.
If you wish, you can transfer the sts to the circular needles when you have enough sts to knit easily. Continue with pattern until you have increased to the desired number of sts (84 sts for a medium-sized adult hat, fewer for children) Be sure st total is divisable by 4.
Continue to K all sts for 6 rounds.
Now, begin the geometric pattern with ecru and brick starting at the top of pattern shown below; pattern is 4 sts repeated around for a total of 14 rows:
Color Legend (for cap shown):
+ Brick
0 Ecru
X Slate
+000 +000 (Brick, Ecru, Ecru Ecru etc..)
+000 +000
+000 +000
++0+ ++0+ (Brick, Brick, Ecru, Brick etc..)
++0+ ++0+
++0+ ++0+
++0+ ++0+ (now tie off the ecru since you are done with this color, and add the slate yarn)
X+++ X+++ (Slate, Brick, Brick, Brick etc..)
X+++ X+++
X+++ X+++
XX+X XX+X (Slate, Slate, Brick, Slate etc.)
XX+X XX+X
XX+X XX+X
XX+X XX+X
Now that you’ve finished the geometric pattern, tie off the brick yarn and continue knitting all sts with the slate yarn (or color of your choice) until the hat measures about 6 inches in length, or less for a child’s hat.
Ear Flaps
When the cap is the length you want it, subtract 26 sts (13 sts for each ear flap) from the total and divide by two. Bind off this number of sts. For a cap with 84 sts, you will bind off 29 sts. This finishes the lower hat edge between the ear flaps. Knit the next 13 sts onto 1 DPN. Bind off the next 29 sts. Knit the remaining 13 sts onto a 2nd DPN. You will work first with one ear flap, but be sure not to drop sts off the other DPN.
Knit 4 rows in either stockinette stitch or garter stitch depending on if you want the same or a different appearance of the ear flap and the cap. For the cap shown, the ear flaps are done in stockinette stitch.
For the next 10 rows, decrease the ear flaps by 2 sts on every other row with the following pattern until 7 sts remain on the needle:
K1, SSK, K across until last 3 sts, then K2tog, K (see glossary for definition of terms)
Bind off.
Attach yarn to other side and repeat the 2nd ear flap in the same way.
Ties
Take 2 or 3 strands of each of the 3 colors of yarn, and cut lengths of about 48 inches. Thread a tapestry needle with one color yarn and pass through the end of the ear flap, pulling it until the ends are even. Do the same with the other colors, spacing evenly along the ear flap edge. Braid the 3 colors of yarn until the end or desired length is reached. Loop a knot in the end.
Few Notes:
Ties are not advised for baby/toddler caps.
Caps will stretch so it’s better to make it a little smaller then too big, which cannot be easily remedied. When in doubt about the head size, go with fewer rather than more stitches. But, don’t shortchange the length of the cap, you don’t want the ear flaps too high!
To make a really warm cap, knit a 2nd one in a solid color as a cap liner. This also makes the ear flaps thick and sturdy!
Enjoy!
Glossary
CO – cast on
DPN – double-pointed needle
K – knit
K2tog – knit two together
KFB – knit front and back of stitch
P – purl
SSK – slip 2 stitches, then knit the two slipped sts on the right needed together
Sts – stitches
· Round 2: K all sts around
