Saturday, February 23, 2013

Updated - Search for the Perfect Earflap Hat Knitting Pattern

In the winter of 2008, I wanted to knit an Earflap hat for Keith.  I started doing research about free Earflap Hat knitting patterns, keeping a list with links and my notes.  I realized that I was not the only one who would find this list useful, and decided to start a blog to share this list with the world.  This Earflap Hat Pattern Search remains one of my most popular post.  Since it is now 2013 and some of the links from the old post are now broken, I decided it was time to update this post with new patterns.

Updated Old List with Broken Links Removed (as of 2/6/2013)
  • Zig Zag ear flap hat - Tri-color with a zigzag like pattern separating two of the colors.
  • Lion Brand Ear Flap Hat - Textured, not color blocked (You will need to create a free account to access this pattern.)
  • Lion Brand Ear Flap Hat 2 - This is also textured, with a single color. It has a cuff that goes above the ear flaps.  (You will need to create a free account to access this pattern.)
  • Knitty's Vinter Lue - This is getting closer to what I've been looking for. Shown in two colors, with different patterns up and down the hat. The pattern uses a double strand, so it may work with chunky yarn. It could be fun to add more colors to the pattern.
  • ABC Ear Flap knit hat - this one is not a traditional chullo, but more reminiscent of a bonnet.
  • Knitty's Cross Country Chullo - The pattern has cute skiers around the hat, and snowflakes on the ears.
  • Basic Ear Flap Hat - One color, no texture. The ears are continuous, they do not get sewn on after.
  • Blue Whoville hat with ear-flaps - one color, textured.  There is a little point at the top
  • Ear flap hat - this is not of the chullo variety, but the ear flaps curl out in a cute way. Single color.
  • Roman ear flap hat - this hat has a single color with texture, but in a more structured "classical" way.
  • Peruvian Llama Hat - As the title suggests, the pattern creates little llamas on the hat.  There are some charts for classic designs that you could mix and match onto other hat templates.  
  • Ear flap hat - two colors, will calculate and update the number of stitches you need in each step based on the gauge you enter! I have not tested the calculator, but this is a neat idea for people who create patterns.  This way you can adapt the pattern directly to the yarn and needles that you want to use.  
  • Knitted toque with earflaps - recommended for knitters with some experience.
  • Alpaca Peru Hat and Mitts with Fur trim - just as the title implies, the hat and mittens have a fur trim. Without trim, solid color.
  • Chullo Hat pattern - contains both plain hat and hat with a llama pattern. The pattern is more guidelines, but there are some good color charts for traditional patterns and an American flag chullo.
  • Fair Isle Toddler Chullo Hat - In this list, I have mostly ignored children and baby hat patterns, but the vibrant colors in this hat are inspiring.
  • Hardcore Earflap Hat - Chunky and looks really warm. A simple charted pattern around the sides. There is also a matching sweater pattern.  
MORE Free Earflap Hat Knitting Patterns - I did say that I wanted to update the list, and that includes finding new free patterns to share with you.  I am focusing the search mostly on Adult Earflap Hat knitting patterns, but you should know that there are also many free patterns available for Child Sized hats.  Enjoy!  
  • Thorpe - This hat comes in two styles, one has a geometric colorwork pattern and the other is a single color textured version.   
  • Basic Earflap Hat - Knit from the bottom up, this basic stockinette earflap hat would be easy to add your own colorwork.  
  • Alpaca Earflaps - This stunning hat looks like a traditional Chullo with multiple colors are beautiful patterns.  Made with sport weight yarn.  There are even designs on the earflaps.  
  • Hear it for the Team Hat - A striped earflap hat that you can knit in the colors of your favorite sports team.  Stay warm at the game!
  • Rocky Mountain - A cabled earflap hat (bonnet?) with a eyelash "fur" trim.  Stunning!  There is also a matching mittens pattern.  
  • Adults-Only Devil Hat - This earflap hat has tiny little "horns" on the top.  Knit in a single color. 
  • Fair Isle Earflap Hat Knitting Pattern - Multiple colors in a stunning snowflake fair isle pattern where you change colors every couple of rows.  Made with fingering weight yarn.  
  • Snowflake Ear Flap Hat - Two colors with a diamond shaped snowflake pattern around the crown.  
  • River Fire - This is a STUNNING example of colorowork with every color of the rainbow involved in this Fair Isle geometric pattern.  You can mix and match the charts to create your very own earflap hat.  (They show three examples, but I think there is even more customization that you could do.)  
  • Hat in Stockinette Stitch with Eskimo - A simple garter stitch ear flap and a stockinette cap.  The ear flaps on this hat are elongated as a thick braid.  
  • 86-40 Hat in Eskimo - A simple, single color hat sort of like the above but with a point at the brim and smaller earflaps.  
  • Norwegian Pattern - A three color colorwork hat with a gathered crown.  
  • Sluggy Bonnet - A colorwork hat complete with pom-pom on top.  
  • Ear flap Hat - Created out of Super Bulky yarn.  This is a single color textured hat.  
  • Ear Flap Hat, South American Chullo - Some fun classic designs in multiple colors.
  • Bombshell Betty, Version 2 - A textured earflap hat.  The way the textured ridges incorporate the earflaps is absolutely beautiful.  
  • Ski Skulls - An earflap hat with skulls patterned on the sides.  Wicked!
  • Tasseled Earflap Hat - A chunky stockinette hat with a tassel on the top.  This is really cute and would be a really fast knit.  
  • Dutch Girl Unisex Cap - A stockinette hat with a contrasting stitch around the bottom edge.  Warm, simple and cute!  
  • Sweet Scarborough Hat - A sweet patterned hat with matching mittens, sweater and socks.  A very intricate design, too!  
  • Skating Hat with Crochet Rosettes - I would personally leave the rosettes on the earflaps off, but the single color hat base is really sweet looking.  There is an interesting curved line across the forehead that make the hat very sweet.  
  • Trapper Hat - Garter stitch earflaps and brim and cabled crown.  Single color.  
  • Cabled Hat with Chin Strap - A single color cabled all over earflap hat.  
  • DROPS Sweater in Alaska with Hat and Gloves - A textured hat with matching sweater and gloves.  The hat looks like it has moss stitch or some other simple texture all over it.  

Select Child Sized Earflap Hat Knitting Patterns - When doing this search, I decided it was worth pulling some of my favorite child sized free earflap hat knitting patterns in case that is what you are looking for.  Enjoy!  
  • Bucking Bronco Hat - Even if you aren't keen on the pattern, the sizing should work for a child better than some of the patterns above. The bucking broncos are cute.
  • s12-40 Jumper and hat in Karisma Superwash - A delightful colorwork hat with some kind of llama or alpaca around the crown.  There is also a coordinating sweater.
  • Free Pattern for child's earflap hat on the midgauge - A single color stockinette hat.  
  • Cabled And Fringed Hat - A mohawk hat on a cabled base.  Single color.  You could use some of the construction details to make a mohawk hat without the cables if you wish.  You will need to create a free Lion Brand account to access this pattern.
  • Teo Hat - A garter stitch brim and ears with a stockinette hat that ends in a point on top.  
  • Child's Earflap Hat - A simple hat with a seed stitch brim and ear flaps and stockinette crown.  Single color.
  • Longford Hat - A simple, single color earflap hat for a child with pompoms at the end of the ties.  You will need to create a free Lion Brand account to access this pattern.
  • Brainmonster - There are many delightful earflap hats for children, and most of them I did not include on this list (you can see some in my Baby Hats that Transform pattern search.)  This hat has the teeth and eyes of a little monster who is trying to gobble up your child's head!  
There are many more earflap hat knitting patterns out there that I did not include in this list, but the ones here are the free patterns that rank as my favorites.  I still hope to knit KnitPick's Andean Chullo sometime in the future, but this doesn't count as a free pattern.