Loom Knit Slouchy Hat

Hat on a vase in the garden...  Because I can't photograph my own head!

I rotated this photo, but who knows why it insists on coming out sideways.

Close up of the pattern.

I absolutely love my new Loom Knit hat!  It's all warm and snuggly!
I knitted it using Rowan Cocoon yarn in a lovely grey-purple shade called bilberry.  It only took about half the skein, but I added a pompom, so that took up a lot of what was left.

I have decided to share the pattern on Ravelry, so here are the instructions.  All very simple!

Tools
You can use any loom so long as it has pegs in multiples of 8.  I used my Martha Stewart one, set with 48 of the large pegs.  You can adjust the size as you need, but I wanted the hat to come out slouchy, so that's why I made it so big.  The yarn I used is very soft and bouncy do the ribbed band shrinks right down for a cozy fit.  I think if you were to use a stiffer yarn, the hat may come out too big if you use the same loom configuration.

Knowledge Required
There are loads of instructions on the internet to help you if you don't know the basic stitches.  I found watching the videos much easier to follow than trying to fathom out diagrams in books!  I found the videos from GoodKnitKisses on youtube especially clear and helpful.
The stitches you need for the hat are: Knit (u-knit), Purl and e-Wrap.  You will also need to know how to do the gathered bind off technique, and a cast on.
I used the e-wrap knit for the body of the hat as this comes out slightly looser than the "Knit" knit and produces a fuller texture.

Pattern

1. Cast on the required number of stitches (multiple of 8) in the round.  I used the cable cast on as I find this has the neatest result.  If you can't do this, I would recommend a crochet cast on.  I find the e-wrap cast on method a bit too loopy for my taste.
2. Create the ribbing by knitting *knit 1, purl 1* repeat for about 8 rows.  Use the u-knit for the ribbed band.
3. Body of hat:
1. Rows 1& 2 *e-wrap knit 4, purl 4* repeat to end of row
2. Rows 3 & 4 *purl4, e-wrap knit 4* repeat to end of row
3. Repeat steps 3.1 and 3.2 until you reach the desired length of the hat (about 8 inches or so for an adult).
4. Decrease the stitches as follows (I do this to make the crown of the hat a little less bulky, you can omit this step if you prefer and simply bind off):
1. Move the stitch from peg 1 to peg 2, knit off.
2. Move the stitch from peg 3 to peg 4, knit off.
3. Continue until you are left with every other peg empty, and every other peg with one stitch.
5. Cut the yarn leaving a 6 inch tail.  Bind off using the gathered method.
6. Add a pompom if you like.  Some neat instructions can be found here.

The Martha Stewart Loom I used is now available on Amazon!