Wanderlust Beanie: Recipe for a Great Stash-Buster Project

Looking for a great one-skein project? This cheerful customizable beanie is a fantastic way to use the special skein you picked up at the farmers market or fiber festival. The instructions start with a worksheet (included with the Wanderlust Beanie pattern linked below). You’ll knit a swatch, take a couple of measurements, then fill in the worksheet. It’s that simple! —Editors

Whether you call it a beanie, a watch cap, or a toque, a simple hat can be a knitter’s constant companion. Knitting a hat makes few demands on your attention, leaving you free to converse or watch a movie. A hat-in-progress tucks easily into your daily tote bag, ready to occupy you during random idle moments.

This isn’t so much a pattern as it is a recipe for making a simple knit hat in any size using whatever yarn you please. Using your gauge and your head measurements, you’ll calculate how many stitches to cast on, when to begin shaping the crown, and how to work the crown shaping. The result is a hat custom designed by you, for you (or any knit-worthy person in your life.)

To begin, measure the circumference of the head and the length from the crown of your head to where you want the brim to sit—above the ears or covering the ears, it's up to you!

This hat is knitted in the round from the brim to the crown. Every aspect of this hat can be customized to suit you. Unlike most patterns, there is no specific finished size, gauge, yarn, or recommended needle size. You’ll determine