What You Need to Start
A round loom hat takes about two to four hours from start to finish, depending on yarn weight and your speed. You will need a round knitting loom (also called a circular loom), which comes in sizes from 4 inches to 12 inches in diameter. The most common size for adult hats is 6 to 8 inches. You will also need yarn — worsted weight or bulky weight works fastest — a loom hook (the tool that comes with the loom), and a yarn needle to weave in the ends when you finish.
Round looms have pegs arranged in a circle. The pegs hold loops of yarn as you work. Unlike needles, a loom does the shaping for you because the circular form is already built in. This makes round loom hats simpler than needle knitting if you have never made a hat before.
You can buy a round loom kit at craft stores or online for $8 to $25. The kit usually includes the loom, the hook, and basic instructions. If you already have a loom from another project, you only need yarn and the hook.
Key Takeaways
- Cast on by looping yarn around each peg in order, then pulling the bottom loop over the top loop on each peg.
- Knit in rounds by wrapping yarn around each peg and pulling the old loop over the new one, repeating until the hat reaches your desired length.
- Decrease at the crown by skipping pegs or moving loops to adjacent pegs so the hat narrows and closes.
- Bind off by threading yarn through the remaining loops and pulling tight to seal the top of the hat.
- A finished hat takes two to four hours and requires only basic hand movements — no complicated stitch patterns needed.
Cast On and Set Up Your Loom
Casting on is the first step and takes about five minutes. Tie a knot at the end of your yarn and anchor it to one peg — this is your starting peg. Wrap the yarn around the next peg clockwise, then the next, and the next, until you have gone all the way around the loom and returned to your starting peg. Each peg should have one loop of yarn on it.
Now pull the bottom loop up and over the top loop on each peg, working your way around. The bottom loop slides off the peg and the top loop stays. This is called casting on. When you finish the circle, you will have one loop on each peg. This is your foundation row.
If your loom has 36 pegs, you now have 36 stitches. If it has 48, you have 48. The number does not matter for a basic hat — the loom size determines the fit, not the peg count.
Knit the Body of the Hat in Rounds
Knitting on a round loom is the same motion repeated over and over. Wrap the yarn around the next peg (going clockwise), then use the loom hook to pull the bottom loop up and over the top loop. The bottom loop comes off the peg. Move to the next peg and repeat. You are always working in the same direction around the circle.
After you go all the way around once, you have completed one round. The hat grows taller with each round. Keep the tension even — not so tight that the loops are hard to lift, and not so loose that they slide off the pegs. Most people find a medium tension easiest to work with.
For an adult hat, knit between 30 and 50 rounds, depending on how tall you want it. A shorter hat (like a beanie) needs about 30 rounds. A taller hat needs 40 to 50. You can try the hat on as you go to check the length. The hat will stretch a bit when you wear it, so aim for slightly snug rather than loose.
Decrease at the Crown to Close the Top
When the hat is tall enough, you need to make it narrower so it closes at the top. This is called decreasing. The simplest method is to skip every other peg. Instead of wrapping yarn around each peg, wrap around every second peg. This cuts the number of active stitches in half.
Knit one round with every peg, then one round skipping every other peg. Then skip every peg (so you only wrap around half as many). Continue decreasing every round, skipping more pegs each time, until only a few pegs have loops left — usually 4 to 8.
An alternative method is to move loops from one peg to an adjacent peg before you knit. This also narrows the hat but takes a bit longer. Either way works. The goal is to gradually reduce the number of active pegs until the opening is small enough to close.
Bind Off and Finish the Hat
When only a few loops remain on the loom, thread your yarn needle with the working yarn (the yarn still attached to the ball). Pull the needle through each remaining loop, going around the circle. Slide all the loops off the pegs onto the yarn. Pull the yarn tight so the loops cinch closed. Tie a knot to find it.
Weave the yarn ends into the hat using the yarn needle. Push the needle through the knit loops for an inch or two, then trim the excess yarn. Do this for both the starting knot and the ending knot. This hides the loose ends inside the hat.
Try the hat on. It should fit snugly but not tight. If it is too loose, you can gently stretch it and let it dry to shape. If it is too tight, you can block it — wet it slightly, stretch it over a bowl or head form, and let it dry.
Choosing Yarn Weight and Color
Worsted weight yarn (medium thickness) is the easiest to work with on a round loom. It knits fast and the finished hat has good structure. Bulky weight is even faster — a hat can be done in two hours — but the result is looser and less warm. Fingering weight or sport weight takes longer and is harder to see while you work, so save those for later projects.
Solid colors are simplest for your first hat. Stripes are straightforward too — just change yarn color every few rounds. Variegated yarn (yarn that changes color as you knit) creates a striped effect without you having to change anything. Avoid very dark colors if you are still learning, because it is hard to see the loops clearly.
Troubleshooting Common Problems
If a loop slides off a peg, stop and put it back on before you continue. If you miss a peg and skip it by accident, you will have a gap. Go back a round or two and fix it rather than leaving it. If the hat is too tight around the pegs, you may be wrapping the yarn too tightly. Loosen your grip slightly and the loops will be easier to lift.
If the hat is lopsided or uneven, it is usually because you are wrapping the yarn with different tension on different pegs. Try to wrap with the same pressure all the way around. If the top does not close completely, you did not decrease enough. You can always pull the yarn tighter when you bind off, or add another round of decreasing before binding off.
If you drop a stitch several rounds back and notice it now, you can use a crochet hook to pick it up and ladder it back up to the current round. This takes practice, so do not worry if you have to unravel and start that section over instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to knit a hat on a round loom?
A basic adult hat takes two to four hours from cast on to bind off. Bulky yarn is faster — about two hours. Worsted weight takes three to four hours. Speed depends on how comfortable you are with the rhythm and how many rounds you knit.
What size loom do I need for an adult hat?
A 6-inch or 8-inch loom works for most adults. A 6-inch loom makes a snug fit; an 8-inch loom is slightly roomier. If you are knitting for a child, a 4-inch or 5-inch loom is better. You can measure the loom's diameter on the package before you buy.
Can I make a hat without decreasing at the crown?
Yes, but the result will be a tube, not a hat. You can fold the tube closed and sew it, or you can bind off without decreasing and tie the top closed with yarn. Decreasing gives you a proper hat shape that looks finished and fits better.
What do I do if I run out of yarn before the hat is done?
Tie a new ball of yarn to the working yarn using a weaver's knot or square knot. Trim the knot close and weave the ends in later. If you are close to the crown, you can bind off early and make a shorter hat instead.
Can I make a hat with a brim on a round loom?
Yes. Knit extra rounds at the beginning, then fold the bottom edge up and stitch it to the inside of the hat. Or knit on a larger loom for the brim, then switch to a smaller loom for the crown. Both methods work but add time to the project.