HatHeads: 1 Man + 2 Knitting Needles = 50 Fun Hat Designs
In 2006 Trond starting knitting hats for friends and family and his friend Klaus photographed them all wearing their hats and so began a joint knitting project that has culminated in a beautiful and inspiring book. Trond also known as knitkid online, taught himself to knit with his own designer hats for friends, each one designed for the person who was to wear it, in this book he offers 50 of his designs along with the tools and advice to design your own gorgeous knitted beanies.
I first started following this project back in 2006 and so was doubly excited to see it all come to fruition and be able to read the full story – what a wonderful journey this book takes you on – through not only Trond and Klaus’s knitting project story, but into the stories of the people wearing the hats. 50 beautiful people are photographed, a brief but interesting story is told about them and the pattern and chart for their hat is available. Its a fantastic formula that works utterly and completely to fascinate and inspire.
And Trond himself comes through in the book as an interesting and eccentric character who has a lot of fun in life, is energetic and creative and motivated to gather these people around him and complete a project more than 3 years in the making, teaching himself to knit and design knitting projects along the way.
I don’t need to say, but I will, that I love this book and I am sure you will too.
Win a copy:
Leave a comment here to win a copy of a Trond original hand knitted hat, along with a copy of the book. Leave a comment here (open for 48 hours) to be in the running – let us know what your favourite hat knitting project has been (or is on your list to make)
BONUS pattern
Download the pattern/chart for this hat here.
Congratulations Megan – who won herself a copy of the book and a hand knitted hat – thank you all for entering.
{ 67 comments }
Definitely the one with the guitars!
What a cool book! I love all the different styles of hats.
Looks like a good book. Love the photographs!
Hats are such great projects to do…small enought to tote around and quick to finish. I would love to make the green hat with the peace sign!!!!!
I’ve knitted a few beanies from handspun wool from my Granny for people. Every recipient has absolutely loved them. That’s been the funnest part, when something you’ve made becomes one of a persons favourite things :)
Looks like a great book! I don’t have a favorite project ’cause I just started, but maybe it’d be one of these hats! :)
Easy answer! The best hat that I’ve ever knit was a chullo that I knit for a friend. We have an inside joke about lobsters, and so I found a basic pattern online and then followed the increases/decrease, sort of, but substituted yarn and made up the pattern as I went, featuring lobsters. It was also the first hat I’d ever made, so while it may have been stupid to make it up as I went, it was certainly exhilarating!
Anyway, excellent giveaway. I’ve been pondering buying this book anyway, as I saw a great review of it the other day.
I have never been able to love knitting hats. I will knit almost anything else. Each hat I knit is too big or to weird. Maybe this book can save me and make me a hat knitter. Right now I am working on a number of knitting projects, my favorite has to be a giant lilac wool bag that I will soon throw into a hot wash and full. I love what that washing machine can do to awful itchy wool. Thanks as always for all your wonderful ideas and projects.
I’m a crocheter, so I haven’t knit any hats. However, this book would be lovely for my Mom…she’s the knitter in the family, and I’d love to give it to her.
Last summer I took my nephew to visit his cousin in Savannah. I was knitting dishtowels at the time, and both boys (13 year olds) thought knitting was so cool – they asked if I could knit something for them. We looked through the books I had with me, went to a shop and bought yarn, and within the week, I had knitted hats (with ear flaps! and pom poms) for both of them. They wore them to school all last winter and want new ones this year. I’ve knitted scarves, socks, sweaters, blankets, jackets, and many other things, but I think the memory of the hats for those two boys, and being there to watch them put them on for the first time, will linger with me for years to come.
What a fantastic book. Love the cover patterns.
I’ve so enjoyed knitting the “fruit” hat in various colors!
I love this book. I’ve been eyeing it whenever it pops up on the crafting websites I follow.. but I really can’t afford to buy a pattern book when there’s so many free patterns out there. Still doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to have it.
My favorite hat (Ravelry link) which I’m hoping to build up the skills for and make is a tricky one. I’ve tried intarsia knitting a couple of times now, and it never turns out right (1-up Mario Hat). I’m hoping to keep making more and build my skills up for it.
Cool! My favorite hat to knit was a Winnie the Pooh Bear hat that I made for my nephew last Christmas. It has stand-up ears and a stuffed snout, and it is adorable. Granted, he is totally terrified of it, but to the knitter? Awesome.
I love hats. I think I got four hats on needles already. Heh. I can’t decide on which hat pattern but the ChicKnits Bucket Hat is one of my favorites.
I made the slouchy beret from last winter’s Debbie Bliss magazine and love that hat more than anything else in my winter wardrobe. My coworker saw it and immediately bought yarn so her mother could knit her one. I’m thinking of making them for everyone for Christmas this year!
hehe ok my favourite hat to knit so far has been the Jayne CObb hat!
This looks like an awesome book!
I love when there’s a good story to go with the patterns… and I love the patterns!
The hat I knit while watching Elizabeth Zimmermann in the Knitting Workshop dvd. I tried a lot of new things with that hat and couldn’t wait to get back to it.
My favorite hats have been the ones I’ve knitted for my son. He’s little enough (just turning 2) that he can’t complain so he’s worn a bunny hat, a hat with earflaps, a huge striped stocking hat with a pom pon on top and a “candy corn” hat. I’ll be sorry when I can’t make him wear whatever I want. This book could help both of us in the future. ;-)
My favorite hat to knit is the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch ‘N Bitch. It is a go to baby gift for me!
I started knitting for the express purpose of making hats for my very bald baby and even though I can do lots of other things, I still find hats immensely satisfying. I think my favorite project was making the Koolhaas. So much fun!
The first hat I ever knitted was doubleknitski http://alison.knitsmiths.us/pattern_double_knit_cap.html. I have to say that I really learned a lot with that pattern, and it’s still my favorite hat, though I don’t do double-knitted patterns that often anymore…
My favorite hat was one that I made for my baby boy, well before he was born. I even made some fun lollipop shapes that I tacked on. Too bad that the only time that the hat fit, he was in his “anti hat” phase! All of use have truly large “domes”, so buying hats (esp for me, with my super thick hair!), is an iffy proposition at best. I love the book on sight-hope I win. ;-)
Best hat I knitted was a gift for a small Mongolian girl as part of the Dulaan Project “Knitting to warm Mongolia” (see http://www.fireprojects.org/dulaan.htm). It was my first attempt at a hat, complete with pink love heart shapes around it, and it worked out really well. If you’re into knitting check out the site – even one donation per year is greatly appreciated!
I’d love a copy of the book – the photography looks amazing and the hats are just plain fun! My standard knit hat is the umbilical cord hat from Stitch N Bitch – easy, quick, and cute!
i would love a copy of this book…i love making hats for my family… i dont really have a favorite hat project yet, but i am excited about making co-ordinating “dead fish” hats for my three kids this winter (i think it’s from knitty.com)
Ah shoot, I dont remember the name, but from the Son Of Stitch N Bitch book I knitted that old-golfer-man style of hat for my hubby. I messed up a bit so it isn’t fit to wear, but I still love it to pieces b/c it was such an adventure to knit!
I love making hats as gifts – it was hats that got me back into knitting after a near 20 year break. So achievable, so useful, so expressive. I think perhaps the Kool Haas Hat by Jared Flood has been my greatest hat accomplishment to date and my other half wears it all the time. A success for maker and receiver :-)
My favorite hat to make is a plain ole top down stockinette hat. Boring, I know, but I can whip one up while watching a movie. And it’s not so boring in a really nice yarn. I am currently knitting a brimmed and striped version that should be really cute.
What a great book!
I’d love to knit the one with the cats ;)
I also love making hats, now I’m knitting some small baby hats for newborns, but fall is coming, it will be nice make some form my older friends :)
Count me in for the boook!
I’ve made lots of hats for my hubby, but they keep disapearing.
I think this is my best ever:
http://heleneh.sprayblogg.no/1239305860_lue.html
Hat whit earflaps, made in nalbinding technique.
you can never have too many hats
lovely to be in with a chance of winning this one
as ever – thanks for an inspirational site – my starting place every day!
I knitted We Call Them Pirates for my brother and he loved it, not to mention how I loved making it. Pirates rock! :)
I absolutely love knitting hats! They’re among the most satisfying knitting projects. My favorite knitted hat is for some reason called, “The Soy Cap” by my husband. It’s grey-black noro kureyon modified from a basic ann budd pattern into a short little tam.
Love your hats.I tried to design hats, but was all about shape and could never quite get them to work. So, I started a companion project of sorts — making ceramic heads for hats I’d knitted. Love to knit hats. My own hat project is hats for newborns. Thanks for the inspiration.
I am just learning how to knit (have knitted two washcloths and a mitten so far, yeah!) but I love hats and can’t wait to make one! These hats looks awesome!
hats are one of my favorite projects to knit. This looks like a fun book.
So far, my favorite hat project was making hats in my alma mateur’s colors (Virginia Tech) for my boys as they were growing up. Such fun, and actually a craft I could make for my sons that they would wear!
I am so impressed with detail and thoughtfulness put into the creation of each hat…each one an original work of art!
Hats are my favorite things to knit! I knit a beret for my mom last year and I was surprised it turned out great. Berets are my fave.
My favorite knitted hat experience was my first attempt at colorwork. I did a modified We Call Them Pirates, added earflaps, and gave it to my husband. It was so fun to see the pattern emerge!
I loved knitting hats as young, now I want to learn how to knit properly so that I can knit my self a wonderful scarfe. The book looks absolutely wonderful.
Oh, what timing! I’ve been knitting for a while (self-taught), but just recently took advice from a professional and learned I was casting on twisted for yeeears! This made me feel better about my hat knitting and why the tops always looked funny.
Long story short, I’m now confident enough to want to try a bulky hat with cable knit! That’s what I’d love to make next.
My favorite hats were the ones I made for my sons last winter. I used my first handspun yarns and made the Thorpe pattern with the earflaps. It was a great project and so rewarding to see them reach for their hats all winter long!
oooh I love that gold textured spiral hat! This book looks amazing & knitting hats is fun and fairly quick :)
My favorite hat to make so far is Odessa. It’s very quick and pretty. About to start up on a cable hat soon for the fall as an Odessa replacement. my partner felted that one by accident :(
On my list is to learn to knit a hat. I’ve crochet one, but I like the knit look and really want to learn.
How cool is that! I just picked up the pattern and yarn for the Flap Happy Hat from Spud and Chloe and I am super duper excited to get started on it!
My favorite hat to knit is the Cabled Newsboy Cap from Stitch n Bitch. I’ve been waiting for this book to be published! So many great hats.
What a great giveaway. I would love to learn how to knit a hat. I´ve ben knitting all kind of things but never a hat.
my first ever knitting project, a beanie for my baby who is due in November! I have just this week finished my first ever knitting project and its is a sweet pea green beanie (pattern from whip up!)
My favorite hat pattern is Gotcha Covered on the Coats and Clark website. No matter what size needles and yarn you have, you can knit this pattern! It is designed to be knit flat and seamed but I cast on one fewer stitch and knit it in the round.
Link:http://www.coatsandclark.com/NR/rdonlyres/ACD42760-0FA6-47A6-B7FD-1E3F77A1397F/30947/lw1268.pdf
What fun!!!! I have tried a hat before but I certainly have the stash to try each and every one. I’d love to see how many I could make without buying yarn!!! hahaha
I have been meaning to try to knit a hat! I think I would want one of each!! lol
My son loves the peace hat. So it goes on the To do list!
I love the baby pixie hat here – it was a fun knit, too:
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/baby_pixiehat2.html
Oh what a fun book! My favorite hat pattern to date is Ann Norling’s “fruit cap” pattern for kids (which I’ve knit in grown-up sizes, too).
The hat I have been coveting most this summer is this button-tab hat: http://i-like-lemons.blogspot.com/2008/01/button-tab-hat-pattern.html . I have an oddly shaped head and my hair usually looks terrible underneath a hat, but I have hope that the completion of this project will prove that even my head can be tamed.
I love that he personalized all his hats for the person receiving them. My favorite hat project was my first – a 70s inspired mushroom themed hat for my brother. I frogged the crown four times, but it came out well and my brother still wears it!
My favorite knit hat wasn’t made by me, it was from my 90 year old aunt. It is purple with a little purple pom pom on to!
If I can only pick one it would be the one with the peace sign.
Great hats – looks like a must have book
Billie
oh I adore those photos!! and of course those hats too:)
My favorite project was the hat I made from my yarn ‘leftovers’..looks cute:)
Beautiful hats! I’m dying to learn how to knit hats (or knit in general). My mom is planning on teaching me in a couple weeks. But in the mean time, I know she’s LOVE this book! So I’m hoping I win it for her. My favorite hat is a simple wool cable knit hat in ecru. Classy! But everyone could use some color – and this book looks full of it!
I just love hats! They’re so fast and fun to make. My favorite was a baby hat with a leaf edging I made for the Knit-A-Square Charity.
You can see it here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/vitalai/baby-hat-with-leaf-edging
The only hat I’ve made so far is a jester hat for my 3 month old son. I have another jester hat on my list, but this time it will only be two points instead of 4 and will become part of his halloween costume. I also want to try my hand at making Jayne hats.
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