Knitted Skull Caps

With Christmas only a few weeks away, I’m working diligently to get all my gifts made. Some of my family and friends have requested big items like sweaters and afghans, but I just don’t have the time to make large items. I enjoy making afghans a lot, but they are so time-consuming. I’ve chosen to instead make Skull Caps for those who love knitted items.

Skull caps are the trendiest headwear this season, but they have been around for several years. I think some call them beanies, but that sounds so outdated or old school. Others call them troop hats. Either way, you’ll recognize them as the snug-fitting, brimless hats or caps you see more and more people sporting. Skull caps are universal in that they look good on men, women, and children. It’s just a matter of finding a pattern or stitch you like.

Skull caps can be made in plain stocking stitch with solid colors or stripes. Or you can add texture with various stitches — seed stitch, herringbone, spine stitch, trinity stitch, bee stitch, and the list goes on. These are more solids patterns and will keep your head warmer. You could venture out with some fancy stitches like the dandelion flower stitch or the flowers in a row stitch.

I found a really nice free Foliage Leaf pattern on Ravelry. It’s a knitted skull cap with a lot of leaves on it, and it looks great. I like to use a lot of cables in my patterns. You can choose some basic cables like I’ve used on the hats shown or go for the more elaborate stitches, but you have to make adjustments when you start decreasing. I didn’t use a pattern, I just add my stitches in groups of 10 – with 6 stitches for the cable with 4 purl stitches in between each cable. It works for me and I’m able to make this skull cap in about 4 – 5 hours. I did find a free cabled skull cap pattern on Ravelry as well.

Or if you’re into the Nordic look, there are lots of patterns with Icelandic, Scandinavian, and fair isle designs. Other options are to use yarn with flecks of color or small streaks of an alternative color. Or my favorite is to use an ombre where the colors fade from dark to light. The grey hat above is made from an ombre yarn that I found in Walmart. So if you’re looking to make a thoughtful gift, the skull cap whips up quickly and only takes one ball or less of yarn.