I have just finished five Spirit hats for my Kansas grandkids. The hats are quite easy to make -- there are only about 40 rows in a hat. I can make one in about four uninterrupted hours. Yeah -- as if that is going to happen!

I'm sharing the pattern in case others would like to make hats for themselves or a family member. I apologize for not being able to include a sample of the graphing of the letters. There are some limitations to blogs. If you use it, please recognize me as the developer of the pattern.

School Spirit Hat


This might be a good project for beginning knitters. It gives practice with the knit and purl stitches and introduces Knit2Together decrease, knitting in the round, and Two-Color knitting. If creating words seems too advanced, the 5 rows of lettering could be changed to a solid band of Secondary color.

Any washable worsted weight yarn may be used for the hat. Red Heart works up stiff but softens a bit after washing. It will have a more defined shape that some other yarns. My favorite, Lion Brand Wool-Ease, is soft from the beginning and makes a hat that can be jammed into a coat pocket or worn with pride. Check your stash. You may have yarn on hand that will work.

Equipment needed:

• 16” Size 8 circular needles

• 1 set Size 8 double pointed needles

• 1 stitch marker that will fit size 8 needles

• 1 yarn needle

• ¼ inch grid graph paper

• Pencil

Yarn needed:

Worsted weight, any washable yarn:

• About ½ skein Primary color,

• About ¼ skein Secondary color

Step 1: Planning lettering

Using the graph paper, sketch out the letters that you will need for your hat. If either the school mascot or the person’s name is long, you may have to use some creative abbreviations to get everything to fit within 72 spaces. Remember you will need 3 spaces between Go and the Mascot name and at least 4 or 5 spaces between the “Go Phrase” and the person’s name as well as 4 or 5 spaces after the person's name.

Some mascot names may be too long to squeeze into 72 spaces if you include the wearer’s name as well. Experiment with the graph paper to see if you need to shorten “Wildcats” to “Cats” or just use the mascot and omit the person’s name. (“Go Trailblazers” would probably fill the entire hat.) Do try to include the person’s name. If an entire group of people – such as a pep club or a sewing class – wears identical hats, it will be hard to recognize your own if it gets misplaced.

I used block letters 5 stitches high to shape the letters. Most letters were 3 stitches wide (A, C, L, E, etc.) Some letters need more space to shape them: G, M, N. Y, but nothing required more than 5 spaces in width.

Directions for Hat:

Cast on 72 stitches with Primary color. Being careful not to twist the stitches, insert stitch marker between the stitch 72 and stitch 1 and knit in stitch 1 to join the circle. Weave in the long tail from the cast on as you knit or later (your choice.)

Rounds 1-8: *K2, P2* ribbing to form cuff.

Rounds 9-16: Knit each row.

Rounds 17-21: Two color knitting

Following the graph you created for your lettering, pick up Secondary color and knit the letters with the Secondary Color and the spaces with the Primary color. Carry the second color behind the one being used; catch it every 3-4 stitches so it doesn’t cause the back side of the fabric to become a snarled nest of yarn. When Round 21 is finished and all letters have been formed, cut Secondary yarn leaving a long tail. Carry the tail, catching it behind the primary color, for at least 3 inches to secure it completely.

Rounds 22-30: Knit each row.

First Decrease round: Round 30: Knit first two stitches together (K2t), knit 10 stitches, K2t, Knit 9 stitches, K2t, Knit 9 stitches, K2t, Knit 9 stitches. There will be seven decrease sections. These will form a pie shape wedge as you taper toward the top of the hat.

Round 31: Knit around.

Repeat rows Round 30 and 31, reducing one stitch between the decreases each row. For example: Round 32: K2t, knit 9, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 9, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 8. :

Round 34: K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 8, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 7, K2t, knit 7, etc.

Continue in pattern until the last round is: K2t, knit 1, K2t, K2t, K2t, knit 1, K2t, K2t, K2t.

(This assumes you are knitting with 4 dpn.) When it becomes uncomfortable using the circular needles, switch to the double point needles (dpn). Insert the first double point at the beginning of a decrease. Put two sets of decreases on the first and second needles and three sets of decreases on the third needle. Use the free double point to knit from the ones carrying stitches.

After the last round, cut the yarn leaving a long tail. Thread the needle with the tail yarn and thread it through the stitches on the needles. Remove each needle after the stitches are on the yarn. Pull up the drawstring to tighten circle at the top of the hat, slip the yarn needle through to the back and tie off the yarn. Leave a short tail (about ½”) so it doesn’t unravel, and enjoy the hat!

Machine washing the hat will help even out stitches and soften the yarn. If you have a wig stand, let the hat dry on the stand to shape it to your head. (That’s nice, but not required.)

Tricks for Two-Color Knitting

Carrying yarn: I carry the color that is being used the most (dominant yarn) in my right hand, knitting American, and carry the second color (carried yarn) in my left hand, knitting Continental. This allows me to catch the “carried yarn” behind a knit stitch periodically. I do this by laying the second color over the top of my knitting needle, throw the yarn with my right hand to form the knit stitch, then the draw the dominate yarn through the loop. The carried yarn stays behind the fabric, but is caught in the knitting so it can’t be pulled loose. This technique may also be used to weave in tails from casting on or joining yarn.

Switching hands: If you have a run of carried yarn that is more than 4 stitches long, switch the hands that carry the yarn. If blue yarn has been the dominant yarn and gold the carried yarn, put gold in the right hand and blue in the left. This lets you continue to catch the carried yarn every 2-3 stitches. It makes for a neater backside to your work and prevents loose threads that may catch on something.

Need more help for knitting with circular needles or Continental or American knitting? Check out http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques (circular needles) or http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knit-stitch (Continental and American knitting).

Copyright 2009 Iris Jones