Lemon Grass Hat!

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Free Knitting Pattern for the Lemon Grass Slouchy Hat.
**It’s come to my attention that the yardage of the ‘Thick and Quick’ has changed, and the skeins are now smaller, so you may need two skeins. I have not bought another skein of Thick and Quick, so Im not positive you can complete it with just one skein now. I apologize for this inconvenience! **

It’s a super basic pattern, really easy.

** PATTERN**

1 skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Yarn
Size US 10 1/2 Double Pointed Needles (6.5mm)

Cast on 56 stitches- Join in the round
(Knit 1 Purl 1) Rep to end.
Repeat for 8 rows
Switch to a seed stitch (Knit 1 Purl 1) rep to end of row.
(Quick tip: Reader GMC tried this pattern and said the following:  “knit one round even before the seed stitch rounds and Kfb of the first stitch in that knit round to get an odd number so I could just go round and round in seed stitch w/o really thinking about it” That is a great, GREAT idea. Now I am kind of embarrassed that I didn’t think of that before!)

Repeat seed stitch for 26 rows.

Beginning decreases: (K2T stands for “Knit Two Stitches Together”
Row 1- (knit 10 stitches in seed stitch (still alternating k1,p1) K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 2- (knit 9 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 3- (knit 8 in seed stitch, K2T )repeat to the end of the row
Row 4- (knit 7 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 5- (knit 6 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 6- (knit 5 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 7- (knit 4 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 8- (knit 3 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 9- (knit 2 in seed stitch, K2T) repeat to the end of the row
Row 10- (knit 1, K2T) repeat to the end of the row

Cut yarn, leaving 12 inch tail.
Pull the tail yarn through remaining stitches, cinch tight, weave in ends.

Enjoy your hat!

86 thoughts on “Lemon Grass Hat!”

  3. Thanks for the cute pattern! It knit up really quickly. I used LBT&Q in Fig. I think I’ll cast on less stitches for the next one, as 56 ended up being a little too big for my noggin. I also knit one round even before the seed stitch rounds and Kfb of the first stitch in that knit round to get an odd number so I could just go round and round in seed stitch w/o really thinking about it.

  10. I bought the yarn to make this hat…gonna start it later today…got a dark pink yarn. Can’t wait!!! Love the seed stitch!

  11. First of all, I’m a beginner. I made the hat on regular straight needles. How does the decrease work with this type of needles? Help please making a birthday gift!

  12. If you are just using straight needles then just go ahead and decrease 4 times per row. So, it would vary depending on how many stitches you have on your needles. When you first start decreasing it would be knitting every 11th and 12th stitch together, on your next row it would be every 10th and 11th stitch together. Does that make sense?

  13. Thanks so much for the straight needle help. As a beginner, I so want to finish this hat. So, do I ALSO knit two stitches together at the beginning and end of a row–or just the 4 times per row? Many thanks for the cute pattern.

  17. Thanks for your recent reply. As you probably can tell, I’m fairly new knitter. One more question, if you K1P1 for the ribbing, then switch to seed stitch (K1P1), how does it end up looking like your photo.

  19. This pattern looks amazing! I plan on knitting it for my best friend, but I have one quick question:
    Would the pattern still be the same if I wanted to use straight (or regular) needles as opposed to DPN needles? And then I would just sew it up so it’d make a hat shape?

  21. Thank you for sharing this cute pattern! I am using circular needles, so do I K2T every 11th and 12th all the way or do I drop down 1 stitch each following K2T (like dpn)? Also, do I switch to knit only once we start decreasing or do we stick to seed? First hat!!

  23. I love the look of this hat, and started knitting with a wool that isn’t as thick as the one you use and required casting on more than 56 stitches.Is there a formula you can share for when to start decreasing (i.e., to compensate for the different gauge)? I appreciate any advice . . . and I hope this makes sense.

  24. Use the same, decrease at the end of each needle, unless you are using DPN’s, in which case just decrease 4x per row. You should get the proper amount of ‘slouch’ that way. Hope that works!

  25. Just once more point of clarification . . . .I am using straight needles (not DPNs), and, based on your response above to Linda (also using straight needles), I should decrease 4 x per row (until I’m down to 8 stitches). Do I also decrease at the end of each row? Or is that instruction for DPNs? Thank you, again.

  26. Finished my hat using straight needles. It looks great. And for those beginners who want to use straight needles, I decreased 4 times per row as Ali instructed. To maintain the seed stitch pattern I knitted or purled 3 stitches together when I decreased. That kept the pattern going.

  27. Hi–thank you so much for the pattern! I made this hat for our babysitter, who is wearing it right now ! 🙂 I made it on circular needles on a wierd size (I have a sort of 10.25 circular needle, if there is such a thing) with grey T&Q and it turned out fine–a little stiff, maybe, but it’ll relax. I made it with 4 decreases, and it’s a nice little hat…thanks again!

  28. I am a new knitter, and I think this hat is absolutely adorable! Can I ask what size your head is? So I could get an approximation for how big it will come out? Thanks for sharing the pattern 🙂

  30. I have one more question. The hat is coming along beautifully (my first try with double pointed needles!). I am coming to the point where I would need to start decreasing. I cast on 56 stitches, like the pattern said, which worked out to 14 stitches/needle. I also increased one stitch before I started the seed stitch like the comment suggested, so I have 15 stitches on one needle, and 14 on the other three. Your pattern says to knit together each 11 and 12 stitch. I was wondering if I would just knit together the last two stitches on each needle (13 and 14th then 12 and 13th) as I go around until I am down to 8?

  32. Love seed stitch on all hats! Do you have any hints as to how to modify this pattern when making it with bigger needles? My circular needle is 8mm and I am using a super bulky yarn. My head is the same size as yours, so I am guessing that I would need fewer than 56 cast on stitches?

  33. Ok so I’ve been trying to do this hat forever and I’m knitting instead of the seed stitch bc im a beginner and I knit when im at work and I loose track where I am. But everyone I follow the pattern it’s just a regular looking hat and im using straight needles I just really want a slouch hat can you plz help me

  37. Thanks so much for the pattern! Very cute hat! I made this hat using straight needles. It’s a little big (I have a small head) so I’m giving this one away and making another for myself 🙂 Thanks Again!!!!

  38. hi i found your pattern and am going to make a few in different colours this weekend!

    i am fairly new to knitting and wondered, what is the best way to make it even more slouchy?

    i would like to make a big baggy boys version of this for a friend but being new to knitting im not good with adapting patterns, do u have any recomendations how to do this? i wanna keep the ribbing the same but make the back bigger/longer/more slouchy if that makes sense?

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  40. Got to the point where it’s time to reduce. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong but it’s just not looking right I have 57 pts ( I increased one so I could go round and round like gmc) I’m
    Knitting with circular needles. Can anyone give more detailed instructions on reducing? Am i supposed to be knitting the whole way or am I maintaining the pattern through the end? Any help is appreciated thanks!

  42. I, too, am confused about the Kfb. Even if I were to knit one from the back, how would that increase a stitch? I’m not a beginning knitter, but certainly not an expert.

    I will say that I use the continental method. When I do stockinette stitch I always knit from the back because it removes a twist from the stitch, thus making all of the stitches lay flatter and closer together.

  43. Just finished this with a really chunky two ply wool knit and 10mm straight kneedles. An absolute doddle, finished it in a night and the hat is beautiful. Thanks!

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  45. Your directions did not state when starting the decrease to use more that one dpn. As it states: make the decrease by k2t at the end of every needle. However you only mention using one needle to start size 10 1/2. For clearity more than one dpn is needle when working in the round as this pattern appears to be.

  48. Hey I absolutely love this pattern! I’m having one problem though…when I start to decrease, it starts looking all wonky like the stitches aren’t matching up anymore. What the heck am I doing wrong?? I’m knitting every 11th and 12th stitch together.

  49. I just finished this hat last night and I love the look of it but I noticed some inconsistencies in the way the pattern is written. First it says to cast on 56 stitches. Okay. You might want to mention you worked this on a set of 5 double points. That’s 14 stitches per needle. My double points were too short so I switched to circular. I should have known something wasn’t quite right when my 24″ long circular was filled with stitches.

    Then it gets to the decreases. Since you didn’t mention this was on 4 double points it’s kind of hard to tell where to decrease (at the end of each needle could mean anything). But then it’s mentioned you knit together every 11th and 12th stitch which you seem to mean are the stitches at the end of each needle. But if you cast on 56 stitches there would be 14 stitches on each needle not 12. The first decrease row you have to knit together the 13th and 14th stitches.

    In the end with 56 stitches cast on the band was WAY too big. It’s not snug in the least to my head and if I move it slides off the back so I’ll have to frog it and start with less stitches or use bobby pins to hold it on.

    The pattern, though, is really cute and the hat looks adorable (I used the oatmeal colored yarn with flecks of brown in it). And is very cozy. But maybe the pattern was supposed to be cast on 48 stitches? I’ll have to try again but I’m out of Thick & Quick yarn and can’t afford to buy more. 😦

  50. Ali,
    I also am a new knitter but my sis wants this for xmas so i thought i would give it a shot. I have one quick question I would just like to clarify– If i knit the first row and the first stitch i kfb to where i would have 57 stiches, when i am k1p1 for the first 8 rows I would then (because I have 57 stiches knit both the last and first stitch of each row (if i were doing it on circular needles)?? that is how the first 8 rows differ from the seed stitch, corrrect?

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  52. I am just starting to decrease and my hat looks a lot longer than yours in the picture. I used smaller needles (6.0 mm) and the same Thick & Quick yarn. By chance did you mean do 26 rows including the ribbing? I think I will just take out some rows to where it looks like yours and then do my decrease. Thanks for the pattern and the advice you give to your followers.

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  58. I do not understand what happened. I knitted my hat using the needle size, the EXACT yarn and directions. Now it came out BIG. So I washed it in scolding water and threw it in the dryer. The hat came out/stretched to the point I could wear it around my waist!!! What happened here?

  59. The same thing happened to me Tanya. Marge Simpson could fit all her hair in mine. Used the same yarn, needles and I am not a loose knitter. So disappointing but perhaps I will try smaller needles next time.

  61. Just finding this pattern now. I wanted to confirm that you don’t increase at all, other than the one stitch to make the seed stitch part with an odd number of stitches. Is that correct? no increasing? Just knit with the original stitches and then at some point start decreasing? Thanks!

  63. Could someone please tell me if the cast on is really 56 stitches? Because it looks way to small? (On a round needle)

  64. I cast on 56 on a circ. needle and ribbed k1p1 for 9rows. Then I increased the one st to make it 57 sts. I then worked 30 rows (26 didn’t seem enough), and switched to dpns dividing the 57 sts into 3 x 19. Then the problem arose – do I decrease at the end of the three needles as well as knitting 11th and 12th sts tog on each of the three needles? Anyway I some how muddled through it, just decreasing at random, till I had six sts remaining. It looks pretty good actually. However the method instructions were not very explicit, quite confusing actually, hence all the questions. If you could re-write the instructions and spell out every detail, I am sure it would be greatly appreciated.

  65. I am just sooo happy right now and I owe it all to you. My children tease me a lot they say I never finish anything. So I started a hat a little over a year ago and never wrote where I had found this pattern. Today I thought let me show my children that I can finish something. Oh I looked all over and I was just going to sadly give up it seemed I would never find you and your not only doable but also a good looking hat .I tried one more time and the last try was the easiest and I FOUND you and the hat. I am almost finished I may have been able to get through the decreases but I wanted it to be right. Thank you so much for sharing your work. Let me know if you would like to see my finished hat. Thanks again.

  66. This pattern is so cool, beanie hats are so in style right now at my school! My Grandmother is making the hat right at this moment, it looks really nice. If you make any more hats can you email me!

    Thanx

  68. I’m using a circular needle, but can’t figure out how many to decrease on each row to get to 8 remaining stitches?

  69. I agree that it would great if this pattern could be rewritten as a normal pattern. I haven’t started yet, but can’t figure out why it says to “(Knit 1 Purl 1) Rep to end for ribbing- join stitches so you are knitting in the round”. Wouldn’t you normally join the round right after casting on, rather than work one round and then join? And does “knit one round even” mean to “work” one round even, or knit that round?

  70. I’m new to knitting and was confused about the decrease to get down to 8 stitches. At first I just knitted together every 11th and 12th stitch until I had 8 left. That turned it in to a cone hat hahahaha. After reading through the comments I discovered you should decrease each row by 4 knit together rounds for each row. I figured it all out so I’d have a little pattern to follow to get to the 8 stitches. It’s a total of 12 rows of decrease and looks like this

    Row 1- knit 12 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 2- knit 11 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 3- knit 10 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 4- knit 9 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 5- knit 8 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 6- knit 7 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 7- knit 6 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 8- knit 5 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 9- knit 4 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 10- knit 3 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 11- knit 2 K2T repeat to the end of the row
    Row 12- knit 1 K2T repeat to the end of the row

    I knit this on a 16″ 10.5 round needle, and switched to double pointed needles when it got too small for my round needle. I spread the stitches evenly between 4 needles, and knit together the last 2 stitches on each needle until i got down to 8. Hope this helps other people. This hat is awesome! My wife loves it, thanks for the pattern! The seed stiches got a little wonky as I started the decrease but I’m confident that’s a lack of experience and keeping track of when to knit and when to purl. Thanks again!

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  72. Here’s a knitting tip: For all you new knitters, if you knit loosely, choose a smaller needle. If you knit tightly use a larger needle. Until I figured this out a long time ago I had problems having items fit as stated in the directions. Enjoy your hats! I will be knitting this pattern up in the near future.

  73. I finally have a finished product, and it was my favorite winter hat this last season. Got tons of compliments on it! However, the pattern really drove me crazy when I was working it last fall. I got through with knitting the hat almost completely, twice, until each time I became frustrated with the terrible way the decreases looked and pulled it all out.
    I kept thinking I must be doing something wrong with the pattern but then I realized that there were things the pattern simply didn’t mention, and for beginner knitters that can be a real tripping point.
    So, long story short I went ahead & finished it for the 3rd time & just tied it off so I could finish it. It is still a very messy back where the decreases never worked out right.
    After finally reading all of the comments on this blog I realize others had similar problems, and I want to thank Braxton for clarifying! Thank you, thank you! I really loved this seed stitch slouchy pattern & wanted to do it again for a friend who loves my hat. Now I can make hers look better! I will now be using this pattern many more times I’m sure! God Bless!

    ~Amanda

  74. Hi Ali, I have made this hat so many times that I thought I would let you know. My daughter attends University in the U.K. Last year I wanted to send her there with some things I made for her, so I made her this hat in the claret color (lion thick and quick). She really loves it because it can be very windy and cold in Scotland and this is a very chunky, warm hat. Then I made one for each of my daughter’s best friends at home in the States, so they would all be wearing the same hat at their respective colleges. I made one in Periwinkle and one in Moss green. Next, my daughter emailed me to say that a classmate who is a foreign student really admired the hat, and asked if I could make her one in a fall color, so I did it again, in a deep rust/pumpkin. I just made another one, in a dark purple, for another classmate. So now you have your pattern being worn by college students in Maine, Pennsylvania, Italy, Scotland and England.

  75. Help please. I love the hat but need translation for a few things. What does DPNs, Kfb, & K2T stand for? Thanks for the cute hat.

  76. I have finished the 8 rows of K1,P1 (the ribbing) then I did the one row of knitting with KFB making that with a total of 57 stitches. then I started the seed stitch. do I start decreasing now or after the 26 row? Pretty hat! But i am a bit confused also. thank you for sharing! I am working in the round.

  77. Just figured out why this hat isn’t working out as well as my earlier hat. The size of a ball of Thick and Quick has changed from 106 yards to 87 yards.

  78. I used to be an experienced knitter some 18 years back and haven’t knit anything since 10 years ago! This is my first project back into our knitters world! Some things are like riding a bike but others the memory tends to fail lol. I needed a hat that didn’t mash my hair for work and one that the cold wind didn’t blow through. Can’t seem to find the hat in the stores. I’ve also fallen in love with the crocheted flowers and leaves so will be putting some on the side! Wish me luck – Say a prayer teehee. I’m using 5.0mm/US 8.75/29″ circular needles with (Red Heart light&Lofty Super Bulky of course realizing I will have to change my needles when it gets difficult in keeping the decreased stitches on the circular! So thanks for all the comments they have brought back most of my memory for knitting lol
    (Note: I too was wondering how small this hat will be with 56stitches cast on – thanks for the comments cause I was about to add stitches and when measuring my head…hahaha to be the same size as the sweetie in the picture – i better stick with the 56 stitches….
    Fervent Bernadette

  79. So already I need a training wheel – as I sold off all my knitting needles – I see that the 29″ is way too long of a needle to join up the ends of my work! Will be using the circular needles and doing some straight knitting as if working with two needles! It’s a holiday and can’t get any shorter circular needles today! 😦

  80. please clarify the pattern. so many comments I don’t know where to start from decreasing. I’m at 57 stitches at seed stitch and want to decrease. Your wording seems confusing to so many.

  81. I’m so sorry if the wording is confusing! The commenter “braxton” a few comments up has written it out better than I did. I will try to get the pattern rewritten to make it more clear, I apologize!

    **Ok- I’ve edited the pattern! I hope this helps!**

  82. Thank you so much for spending the time to re-do this!! I just finished and there seems to be not an even amount of stitches at the end of the round….for instance, left over seed stitches: for example, I’ll seed stitch 5 for say, and knit 2 together…then have 3 left over or something like that at the end of the round. Each round is different. Its also good to note to readers how many stitches should be left on each round (I’ll do this again some other time and put in parenthesis how many seed stitches are on each row to keep others in check). Also, I found out when you knit together, the next stitch you also must knit instead of pearl…starting the seed stitches, or it will not come together, if that makes sense. I really ought to think you should do a video! 🙂 I l tried to find some on you tube and I couldnt find any!

    Again, thank you for your time and sharing!!!! Happy Holidays!

  83. The decrease instructions just dont work out evenly. I tried three different times and each time there were a few extra stitches at the end of the row. Each time, after about 5 rows it looked too sloppy so I ripped it all out and will use a different pattern. Disappointing, because it looked great-until decreasing. I’m an experienced knitter and just couldnt get it to work.

  84. Hae! thank for the pattern recently I knitted a seed stitch scarf and I have been searching for the same pattern for a had. thanks so much. let me start knitting the hat.

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