Do you have to use circular knitting needles to knit a hat?

Question

i just started knitting my first hat, but i couldn't find my circular needles, so i am just using regular straight needles. can i still knit a hat with straight needles?

Answer 1

I'm sorry, but I can't find a pattern for you (don't have time to look and don't have my patterns with me), but I have knitted at hat without circular needles.  You can do it like the poster above me (but I think the top becomes bunchy).  Or, you can find a pattern where you knit the piece flat, decrease the crown, and then sew the ends together (you will have a seam in the hat).  This is done by working in stockinette stitch and decreasing stitches on the right side rows.  You have to do some math to get the number of stitches to come out right, and I'm not sure what it is, so you might just want to find some patterns online.  Sorry I can't provide those for you, but I hope this helps.  Good luck!

Answer 2

Yes.  There is a great simple pattern for a Short Row hat and it only uses straight needles (you could use circular needles, granted).

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATTtych...

I will say it's a bit easier to knit the hat using 2 different colored skeins but you can still make the hat with only one color. You would need to sew the edges together.

ALSO.  There is a different style of hat where you knit a rectangle and essentially sew only one edge together.

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70AD.h...

It's on Lion Brand's web page - you'll need to sign up to get the pattern but sign up is free.

Answer 3

You could knit a large rectangle with straight needles. Then when it is finished, you can sew together the edges. If you weave a piece of yarn through the top and then tighten it (like a draw string bag) you can create the top of the hat. I hope this helps and you can understand what I am trying to explain.