What you need to start a round loom hat

A round loom hat uses a circular loom — usually plastic with pegs arranged in a circle — and works from the center outward or from the bottom up, depending on your pattern. You will need the loom itself (typically 24, 36, or 41 pegs), yarn in your chosen weight and color, a hook tool to pull loops over the pegs, and scissors. Most round looms come with a hook included. The loom size determines your finished hat size: smaller looms (24 pegs) make hats for children, while larger ones (41 pegs) fit most adults.

Yarn weight matters because it affects how many rows you knit before the hat reaches ear level. Worsted weight yarn (medium thickness) is the easiest to work with for beginners because the stitches are large enough to see and fix mistakes. Thinner yarn takes more rows to reach the same height; thicker yarn takes fewer. Check your yarn label for the weight category, then choose a pattern written for that weight.

Key Takeaways

  • Round loom hats start with casting on all pegs, then working in rounds by pulling loops over pegs in sequence until the hat reaches the desired height.
  • The basic stitch is the e-wrap: wrap yarn around each peg, then pull the loop below it over the top, moving around the loom in one direction.
  • Most hats need 15 to 25 rounds of knitting before they reach the top of the ear, depending on yarn weight and loom size.
  • Decreasing (removing pegs or skipping them) happens at the crown to shape the hat and close the top.
  • Binding off secures the final loops so they do not unravel when you remove the hat from the loom.

Casting on and starting the first round

Casting on means putting the first loop on each peg. Hold the yarn tail in one hand and the working yarn (the end attached to the ball) in the other. Wrap the working yarn around the first peg from back to front, then move to the next peg clockwise and repeat until every peg has one loop. This is your cast-on row.

For the first actual round, wrap the working yarn around every peg again, going in the same direction. You now have two loops on each peg — the cast-on loop below and a new loop on top. Using your hook, lift the bottom loop over the top loop and off the peg. Move to the next peg and repeat all the way around. When you finish the circle, you have completed one round.

Working the body in e-wrap stitch

The e-wrap is the most common stitch for round loom hats. It creates a smooth, even fabric. For each round, wrap the yarn around every peg from back to front (or front to back — pick one direction and stay consistent), then use your hook to pull the bottom loop over the top and off. The wrapping and pulling happen in one continuous motion as you move around the loom.

Keep the tension even: the yarn should be snug enough that loops do not slip off, but loose enough that you can hook them without straining. If loops keep falling off, your tension is too loose. If you struggle to pull loops over, your tension is too tight. After a few rounds, your hands will find the right feel.

Count your rounds by marking them with a stitch marker or a piece of contrasting yarn tied to one peg. Most hats need 15 to 25 rounds before you reach the crown, depending on how tall you want the hat and how thick your yarn is. A child's hat is usually done around 12 to 15 rounds; an adult hat around 20 to 25 rounds.

Decreasing at the crown to shape the top

Once the hat body reaches the right height, you decrease to close the top. The most straightforward method is to skip every other peg: wrap yarn around the first peg, skip the next peg, wrap around the third peg, skip the fourth, and so on all the way around. Then pull loops over as usual. This removes half the pegs in one round.

After you complete that round, you now have half as many pegs in use. Repeat the decrease round (skip every other peg again) until only 4 to 6 pegs remain. At that point, you can either continue decreasing one more time or move directly to binding off. The fewer pegs you have when you bind off, the smaller and tighter the crown will be.

Binding off to finish the hat

Binding off secures the loops so the hat does not unravel. With only a few pegs left, wrap yarn around each remaining peg one more time. Then pull the bottom loop over the top as usual. After you pull the loop off, move to the next peg and repeat, but this time pull the loop you just made over the new loop on the peg you are moving to. This chains the loops together.

Continue this process until only one loop remains on the loom. Cut the yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail, and pull the tail through the final loop. Pull tight. Remove the hat from the loom and weave the tail through the loops at the crown using your hook or a yarn needle to close any gaps.

Finishing and wearing your hat

Once the hat is off the loom, check the cast-on edge. If it looks loose or uneven, you can tighten it by weaving the cast-on tail through the bottom loops. Weave in any other loose ends with a yarn needle. If the hat feels stiff, a gentle wash in cool water and a light blocking (stretching it to shape while damp) can soften it.

Try the hat on. It should sit just above your eyebrows and cover your ears. If it is too loose, you can tighten the crown by pulling the bind-off tail. If it is too tight, you may need to make the next hat with a larger loom or thinner yarn.

Troubleshooting common mistakes

If loops keep falling off the pegs, your yarn tension is too loose or you are wrapping in an inconsistent direction. Stop, tighten your grip slightly, and make sure you are always wrapping the same way around each peg. If you drop a loop, use your hook to pick it up and place it back on the peg before you move on.

If the hat comes out lopsided or bunched on one side, you may be pulling some loops harder than others. Try to use the same amount of force each time you pull a loop over. If the crown is too tight to close, you skipped too many pegs too quickly. On your next hat, decrease more gradually by skipping every other peg for two or three rounds before skipping every peg.

If the hat is too small or too large, note the finished size and adjust your next hat by using a different loom size or yarn weight. A 41-peg loom with worsted weight yarn makes a larger hat than a 36-peg loom with the same yarn.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size loom should I use for an adult hat?

A 36 or 41-peg loom works best for most adults. A 36-peg loom with worsted weight yarn produces a snug, close-fitting hat. A 41-peg loom gives a roomier fit. If you want a very loose, slouchy hat, use a 41-peg loom with thicker yarn.

How many rounds until the hat reaches the top of the ear?

With worsted weight yarn on a 36-peg loom, most hats need 18 to 22 rounds. With thinner yarn, you may need 25 to 30 rounds. With thicker yarn, 12 to 18 rounds is typical. The best way to know is to try the hat on the loom every few rounds once you pass the 10-round mark.

Can I make a hat with a different stitch besides e-wrap?

Yes. The flat stitch (wrapping yarn around two pegs at once) creates a thicker, denser fabric. The twisted stitch (wrapping in the opposite direction) changes the texture. Most beginners start with e-wrap because it is the easiest to learn and produces a balanced fabric.

What do I do if I run out of yarn before the hat is finished?

Tie on a new ball of yarn by making a knot close to the peg where you ran out. Continue knitting. After you finish and remove the hat, weave the knot and the two tails to the inside of the hat using a yarn needle. If the knot is visible on the outside, you can hide it by working it into the crown seam.

How do I make the hat bigger or smaller without changing looms?

Knit more rounds before decreasing to make the hat taller and roomier. Knit fewer rounds to make it smaller. You can also change yarn weight: thicker yarn on the same loom makes a larger hat, thinner yarn makes a smaller one.