My hat is too short...

My first hat for my sweetheart... and now it’s even too short... :(

I’m really sad right now... I was so happy that it was finished, and then my sweetheart put it on and said, “Isn’t it a little too short?” Aaaaaaaaaaaargh.
I think with 4 rows, it would fit much better.

The hat was knitted with 2. purl and 2 knit stitches (I think it’s called a rib pattern).
The idea of just extending it at the beginning doesn’t work because of the stitches—they’d end up looking upside down... How can I extend the hat while keeping the pattern?

Do any of you pros have a tip... Thanks in advance...

Love,


Kati​​ ​​

Hi Kati,

hmm, suggestion 1: Sew in a fleece brim, make it a little longer, and that way you’ll have warmer ears and a longer hat at the same time.

Or suggestion 2: Crochet a brim onto it. Either with simple single crochet or—to make it more elastic—in ribbing as well. A brim crocheted with post double crochet also looks great on knitted items.

Best, Marion

Hi Kati,
or you could knit on from the bottom. But then I’d knit it longer so you can fold it over. That way, it covers the “seam” from where you started knitting, and the stitches will be oriented correctly again.
Best regards, Petra

Your ideas are amazing… honestly.
The hat already had a turn-up… if I fold that back, the hat is too big again, and it just looks ugly when the top of the hat looks like a Smurf.

I’ve also been wondering: couldn’t I just cut through a stitch in, say, row 4 or 5, being careful not to let everything unravel, and then knit the extra length I want with new yarn? But I’m wondering, what do I do with the cut stitch, and how do I get the top part of the hat back on?

Hmm… it’s not that simple.

Thanks so much, everyone...

Best, Kati​​​

​​

Dear Kati,
I don’t quite have a clear picture of your finished piece, but you mention that the hat is too big if you don’t fold over the cuff.
Here’s my solution: don’t fold the cuff over; instead, roll up the “extra-long section” slightly and secure the roll with large stitches AROUND it.
You can try this out on a small section first and decide if you (or he) likes it.
Good luck!

Best regards from Angela
 

The hat was knitted with a turned-up brim, which you can also fold back.

When the brim is folded back, there are 3–4 rows missing so that the hat fits perfectly with the brim, and unfortunately, it doesn’t (I’m a bit too much of a perfectionist when it comes to that). That’s why I’d like to knit 3–4 more rows onto the brim afterwards so it would fit perfectly. As it is, the brim is a bit narrow, and I just don’t think it looks very nice overall.

Oh well… I thought maybe someone might have a tip.

Thank you so much for your time and ideas.

Best regards, Kati​

Hi Kati,

I’ll give you a suggestion, since I’ve had similar problems with knitted items that were too short. Try undoing the first row from the cast-on edge, i.e. you need to unravel each stitch individually from the cast-on edge, picking up each freed stitch from the first row onto the knitting needle as you go. This is a bit tricky and somewhat time-consuming, because you can’t simply pull on the loosened yarn the way you normally do when unraveling. Once you’ve undone all the cast-on stitches and the stitches from the first row are on the needle, you can simply knit the missing rows. Even if you knit in the opposite direction, it won’t show. I’ve done it myself several times, and it works! (Tip: If you’re unsure, try it on a small swatch first.)
Best wishes,
Neononna
 

Hi Kati,

... I forgot something: When picking up the loose stitches onto the needle, make sure they aren’t twisted! If they’re picked up correctly, you won’t see the join.
Best regards,
Neononna

I would unravel the top of the hat down to the decreases and knit it longer. Knitting in the other direction doesn’t work with ribbing—it shifts by half a stitch.