Note: making modifications may change the yardage needed for your pattern.

At Pacific Knit Co., we believe that knitters should feel empowered to modify their projects in any way that feels right for them. We love the freedom that Doodles offer, but know that some knitters are more comfortable with more guidance.

Modifications covered in this post:

• Adjusting the circumference of your hat
• Adjusting the height of your hat
• Alternate brim options
  
• Alternate crown shaping options

Quick note before we get too far: While these modifications can be used for almost any simple hat pattern, the instructions given here refer most directly to the construction of Pacific Knit Co.'s Base Doodle Beanie 1 & Beanie 2. 

Remember: When making modifications, ensure that your new stitch count remains divisible by 24 or 12. See note at the end about rounding to the nearest multiple of 24 or 12 or read about Doodle Repeats. 

Want to learn general tips for substituting yarn weight? Read our full post about Changing Yarn Weight & Gauge.

Helpful calculations for making modifications

Adjusting the Circumference of a Hat

The finished circumference of a hat is determined by the number of cast-on stitches as this will determine how big around it is. More stitches means bigger circumference. Fewer stitches means smaller circumference.

NOTE: Hats are typically worn with 1-2 inches of negative ease, which means after measuring the size of your head, you'll want to subtract 1-2 inches to find your "knit size."

To calculate stitch count for desired circumference:

• STEP 1: Find your [sts per inch]

• STEP 2: To find out how many stitches to cast on for your desired size, use the following:

  • [desired circumference] x [sts per inch] = NUMBER OF CAST-ON STS

• For example, if I want my hat to be 24 inches around, at 6 sts per inch:

• [24 inches] x [6 sts per inch] = cast on 144 sts

Check your Stitch Repeat: 

If you are using Doodle Charts to knit in colorwork, ensure that your new stitch count remains divisible by 24 or 12. See note at the end about rounding to the nearest multiple of 24 or 12 or read about Doodle Repeats.

Adjusting the Height of a Hat

The hat height is often flexible, because it is determined by how many rounds you knit before starting your crown decreases. To adjust the finished height, cast on as-written, and then just knit for as long (or as short) as you like!

Note: Make sure to include the height of the brim and crown shaping in your calculations.

If you are knitting plain, this can be as easy as just measuring/trying on your project as you go. If you are knitting colorwork, and want to know a more exact round count so you can plan out your Master Chart design, keep reading:

To calculate round count for desired height of the BODY of the hat (minus shaping):

• STEP 1: Find your [rnds per inch]

• STEP 2: To find out how many rounds you need to knit for the desired body height, use the following:

  • [desired height in inches] x [rnds per inch] = NUMBER OF ROUNDS

• For example, if I want a slouchy 10 inch tall hat, and my swatch is 6 rnds per inch:

• [10 in] x [6 rnds per in] = knit 60 rounds

The easiest way to adjust the overall hat height is to just change the height of the plain stockinette/colorwork section in the middle, while keeping the brim and crown shaping to pattern.

Calculate your Doodle Rounds: 

If you change how long you want to knit your project, you can still figure out how many Doodle Rounds to plan for when designing your Doodle Master Chart. Check out Doodle Math: Row Gauge & Chart Height for more information.

 

Alternative Hat Brim Options

Want to try a different style of brim? After casting on, try replacing the simple ribbing with one of the styles below (worked to desired brim height):

• 1 x 1 Twisted Ribbing: *K1tbl, p1, repeat to end (see our full tutorial on Twisted Ribbing)
• 2x2 Ribbing: *K2, p2, repeat to end.
• Corrugated Ribbing: *K1 MC, p1 CC, repeat to end.
• Rolled Edge: Knit all stitches for approximately 2-3 in before starting the colorwork section.
• Folded Brim: Knit your brim to double height, and then fold it over and seam it together (see our full tutorial on knitting a Folded Brim). 

Then simply work the remainder of the hat pattern as written. 

Alternate Hat Crown Options

Want to try a different style of crown? Once you reach the crown, you can use any style or pattern of decreases to finish your hat.

For many styles of crowns, decreases are typically worked part way up on EVERY OTHER round, then worked EVERY round for the remainder of the crown to increase the rate of decreases as you near the top.

Work the pattern as written, up until reaching the crown, then choose one of the following options:

• Spiral Decreases (as in Beanie 1): The crown uses consistently placed stitches relative to stitch markers on each decrease round that create a spiral effect that can be spiraled either left or right.

• Vertical Decreases (as in Beanie 2): This crown uses clean, non-slating, dual sided decrease spines, evenly spaced across the crown. This technique mirrors a ssk/k2tog decrease method at each stitch marker, and can be used with any number of overall sections or sts between decrease sts.

• Wide Central Decreases: This crown uses an uneven amount of sts left between vertical decrease stitch columns, so that the middle column is significantly and visually wider than the side columns.

• Wedge Decreases: Similar to the toe of a sock, this crown works even decreases along just two of the sides of the hat, resulting in a taller crown with slower overall decreases. It does enable more colorwork to be added to the hat, if desired, as there is more open space between decrease columns.

Other modification options

Many hat patterns accommodate a lot of mix-and-match options. You can add texture, or stripes, or swap out the style of crown shaping construction for a different look. And of course, our Base Doodle Beanie pattern is perfect for adding colorwork!

There really are almost endless options to make your knitting project your own. Don't be afraid to play around with different techniques and modifications to create something truly unique!

Checking Stitch Counts for Doodle Repeat Sizing

While you can definitely knit our Base Doodle Patterns in plain stockinette, if you are using Doodle Charts to knit in colorwork, you'll want to ensure that your new stitch count remains divisible by 24 or 12.

For example, if I wanted a hat that was 21 inches around at pattern gauge:

• [21 inches] x [6 sts per inch] = cast on 126 sts

In this example, 126 is NOT divisible by 12 or 24.

To make the stitch count work for Doodle Charts, we can either go down to 120 stitches (divisible by 24) or go up to 132 (divisible by 12).

Bonus step: Recheck your sizing. If you adjusted your size to accommodate 12 or 24st repeats, re-check your sizing by using the inverse of formula above:

• [cast on st count] / [sts per inch] = [circumference in inches]

• For example, if we chose to round down to 120 sts:

• [120 sts] / [6 sts per inch] = 20 in hat circumference

If that size works for you, then you're all set! Cast on the new amount and work the pattern as written. If that's not quite right, go ahead and repeat the math with the next closest option divisible by 12 or 24.

Happy Doodling!

Want more info? The complete PDF pattern for our Base Doodle Beanie (including detailed techniques, modification options and blank colorwork charts) is available on our website and on Ravelry.

Want to add colorwork? Take a look at our full library of Doodle Colorwork Charts (dozens of themes to choose from as either digital downloads or physical card decks).

Blog co-written by Jamie Lomax and Grey Lundy