Two Pom Hat Knitting Pattern

Two Pom Hat in Blue Sky Fibers Suri Merino

What Is Being Made

The Two Pom Hat is a charming knitted beanie designed by Sarah Smuland, featuring two decorative pompoms positioned on the crown like "panda ears." This advanced beginner knitting project creates a soft, warm hat with a finished circumference of 16 inches and a height of 7½ inches, suitable for one size. The design combines playful styling with practical warmth, making it an ideal accessory for casual wear or themed outings.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs fundamental circular knitting techniques appropriate for knitters with some experience. The construction begins with a cast-on worked in the round using a circular needle, then transitions to double-pointed needles (dpns) during the crown shaping phase when stitches become too tight for the circular needle. The pattern incorporates a ribbed cuff section worked in knit and purl stitches before transitioning to stockinette stitch for the body. The crown is shaped through a series of strategic decreases that gradually reduce stitch count, creating the hat's fitted crown closure.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Two Pom Hat utilizes several essential knitting stitches:

• Knit stitch (k): Forms the primary fabric in stockinette stitch
• Purl stitch (p): Creates the ribbed texture in the cuff section
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used repeatedly throughout the crown shaping to systematically reduce stitches from 90 down to the final closure
• Stockinette stitch: The dominant stitch pattern for the hat body, created by knitting every round
• Ribbed knit-purl pattern: The cuff features a repeating *k2, p1* pattern worked for three rounds, providing elasticity and a finished edge

Materials and Tools

The Two Pom Hat is crafted from Blue Sky Fibers Suri Merino in worsted weight, a luxurious blend of 60% Baby Suri and 40% Merino wool. One hank (100g/164 yards) of the main color provides sufficient yardage for the complete hat. The pattern is worked at a gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch.

Essential needles and tools include:

• Size 5 (3.75mm) 16-inch circular needle
• Size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles for crown decreasing
• Stitch marker for tracking round beginnings
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

For the optional decorative pompoms, the pattern calls for approximately 4 yards of Suri Merino in the main color (No. 411 Cloud), approximately 2 yards of Bulky No. 1217 Curry, and approximately 4 yards of Bulky No. 1004 Polar Bear, allowing for creative color combinations in the pom-pom construction.

Pattern Construction Overview

The hat begins with a cast-on of 90 stitches joined in the round. The first three rounds establish the ribbed cuff using the knit-purl pattern, which provides stretch and a polished finished edge. Following the cuff, the body is worked in stockinette stitch (knitting every round) until the piece measures 7 inches from the cast-on edge. The crown shaping then begins with a systematic series of decrease rounds, each reducing the stitch count by 6 stitches through evenly spaced knit-two-together decreases. This graduated decrease sequence continues through 10 rounds, progressively shaping the crown closure and creating the foundation for the two pompoms that define this hat's distinctive character.