How can you knit a hat in a day?

When my hands are doing OK, I can knit a hat in just a few hours' time, and even make a hat in a day. I made a hat yesterday, and made another one today. (I'm VERY thankful that my hands are doing OK!)

It's possible to knit a hat in a few hours. The trick is to FIND the few hours. And, once found, make sure you have ALL the tools you'll need for the task.

Here's how I do it:

Take the hat with you EVERYWHERE, including the kids' swimming lessons. (You see T's head by the ladder.)

Even take the hat with you to a restaurant. Just put it some place safe when the food arrives. 

In the category of having the right tools: Knitter's Pride Cubics 16-inch #10 needles, "short needles" --- I can do Magic Loop knitting even with this short needle. The needle is short enough and the cable is flexible enough! Amazing. There are only 16 stitches on the needle at this point of the hat. 

Here's my new head model, sporting the hat finished just after lunch.

Aside - My current favorite hat top finish is paired left and right decreases with a single plain stitch between them. I do them every other row, until only a scant few remain. I draw the remaining yarn through the last stitches twice. This makes a nice X at the top of the hat. I far prefer this to the swirl one gets from regular K2togs.

You can have a head model, too! Check out the price tag. Only $2.99 if you happen to have a Savers, Value Village, or Village Valeurs near you during Halloween season. Yes, I know it's only August... but Halloween's a-comin'. 

• Needles shown - Knitter's Pride, Cubics "Special Interchangable", #10, 16", purchased at Webs
• Yarn shown, Ella Rae Wool... purchase date unknown, purchase location unknown
• Styrofoam head from Savers.
• Hat pattern is classic Knit-A-Cap pattern with seed stitch as the first 15 rounds for the fold-up brim.
• Restaurant shown: Red Robin ("Yummmmm!")