Simple reversible hat with Pompom - LK150 machine knitting

Here is a simple machine knitting reversible hat tutorial on an LK150 knitting machine. It has minimal design so suitable for both male or female. The pompom is removable with a little pin, or you can sew a button so it is removable.

Watch the video below for machine knitting the reversible hat

Material and Tension

Since it is going to be double-layered, I pick a thinner yarn so it is less bulky. I use sock yarn or fingering weight yarn. Sports weight yarn will work too.

I use Tension 3 on both carriage and upper mast. You can adjust according to your swatch. The mast tension will change the row height, and the carriage tension changes the stitch distance.

Cast on

For average adult size, cast on every other needle, from L61 to R62 needles,

For teen or order kids, cast on every other needle, from L56 to R57.

Starting with waste yarn (top of the hat)

1. Starting by knitting a few rows of waste yarn, then change to the main color and knit about 3 rows.

(This is going to be the top of the hat so every other row makes it easier to gather up the top and reduce some bulk.)

2. Transfer the purl bump to the empty needles so we are ready to knit every needle.

3. Start knitting the main part in plain stitches.

(A average adult hat is about 9 inches long or 10-11 inches with a brim to fold over. Check with your swatch for row count)

For an adult size, I knit 105 rows for each color (105 x 2), or 120 rows with the folding brim (120 x 2).

For a teen/kids: knit 90 rows for each color (90 x 2) or 105 rows with the folding brim (105 x 2).

After knitting both colors

To match the beginning 3 rows of every other needle, start transferring stitches to every other needle again, and put the empty needles back to non-working positions.

Pull out all needles and knit 3 rows.

Bind off

Cut the yarn and leaving a long tail. Thread the yarn through a tapestry needle. Thread through every stitch on the needle, take off the machine, and pull tight.

Pick up all the stitches on the cast-on row of the main yarn with a tapestry needle and the first color. Take off the waste yarn and draw the yarn tight.

Now we finished the top of the hat (both colors), we can sew up the seam to make a tube and fold/ tuck one color inside another.

You can use a mattress stitch, flat Bickford stitch, or any seaming techniques for the side seam.

Pompom

There are many ways to make pompoms. You can also buy premade pompoms. I just wrap some yarns on thick cardboard or ruler and tie up in the middle. Then trim into a ball shape.

To make the pompom removable, I like the yarn stitch marker that is plastic and looks like a safety pin. A safety pin will certainly work, or just sew up a button like in the Anthropologie’s website (see the video).

Finally, block the hat by steaming will make stitch look much nicer. Have fun playing with different colors.