How to Line a Knit or Crocheted Hat

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Linda Permann, contributor

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Now the hat is ready to wear! May your ears be warm and your forehead itch-free!

Linda Permann

To get started, cut a fleece strip that's 1 inch longer than your head circumference by 3 inches wide. Sew the two short ends together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. If you want to include a tag, fold the tag and place the raw edges just inside the seamline before you sew it.

Linda Permann

Place the fleece band inside the hat, with the raw edges between the right side of the fleece and the wrong side of the hat. Pin the band in place, making sure to evenly distribute the hat around the band. If the hat is smaller than the band, stretch it slightly to fit.

Linda Permann

Now the hat is ready to wear! May your ears be warm and your forehead itch-free!

Photo: Linda Permann

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Now that I live in a super-cold climate, a knit or crocheted hat doesn't always cut it when it comes to keeping my head toasty. What's more, my forehead is pretty sensitive to wool, so unless it's –22 degrees and I can't feel my face, it begins to itch when I wear my handmade hats. To solve this problem, I came up with an easy way to add a lining band to my hats. It's just wide enough to protect my forehead and warm my ears, yet not get all tangled up in the hat innards. Here's how you can add your own lining band to your hats, too. Your head will thank you!

To get started, cut a fleece strip that's 1 inch longer than your head circumference by 3 inches wide. Sew the two short ends together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. If you want to include a tag, fold the tag in half and place the raw edges just outside the the seamline before you sew it (so that you'll sew across the edges of the tag as you sew the seam).

Note: I use fleece because it's easy to sew and there's no hemming required. If you want to line your hat with a cotton or knit fabric, cut the same length strip by 7 inches wide. Fold the strip lengthwise, with right sides facing, and sew all the way down the long edge. Turn the strip inside out and press. Turn one short end under 1/2 inch and press. Slide the other short end inside the turned-in edge, overlapping it 1/2 inch. Sew the opening shut. Proceed to the next step of the tutorial.

Place the fleece band inside the hat, with the raw short edges facing the wrong side of the hat. Pin the band in place, making sure to evenly distribute the hat around the band. If the hat is smaller than the band, stretch it slightly to fit.

With a loose whip stitch, stitch the bottom edge of the band to the bottom edge of the hat. Go through both the backside of the knit/crochet work and the band. To maintain the hat's stretch, keep the stitches slightly loose by gently stretching the hat after every few stitches.

If you run out of thread, knot off behind the fleece and start sewing again with a newly threaded needle. I usually rethread my needle twice on a typical 22-inch-circumference band. If you'd like to, you can stitch the top of the band to the inside of the hat as well. I never do this because I think it might pull awkwardly at the hat, but it's a matter of personal preference.

Now the hat is ready to wear! May your ears be warm and your forehead itch-free!

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Comments (7)

wcinro writes: Many thanks. I started to do just the band and thought it would be nice to see if anyone else had done this type of lining and just how it got done. Perfect! Toasty ears now.
Posted: 3:58 pm on January 10th

Jen1964 writes: Fleece + Knit is my favorite, for warmth & comfort & fun. Up till now, I've only seen the machine made ones. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction!
Posted: 8:57 am on January 10th

SAxcell writes: Brilliant! I'm totally going to use this idea for the next hat I knit. Why didn't I ever think of this before?
Posted: 7:09 pm on January 5th

gracielynn writes: So neat.. Why didn't I think of that :_)
Lisa
Posted: 8:20 pm on January 3rd

mp123123 writes: I'm not just allergic to wool, but to acrylic too - so this is a great idea - I'll finally be able to wear knit caps again! I do have a tip to add though: use wooly nylon thread to attach the liner - since it stretches, you won't have to worry as much about the tension of your stitches. Thanks for the flash of brilliance, Linda!
Posted: 8:24 am on January 3rd

mubongo writes: Great tip! I always wanted to line my knit and crochet wool hats, but never thought to do just a band and not the whole thing. Very clever.
Posted: 8:15 am on January 3rd

ChessWidow writes: What a great idea! Now I can make some hats with the wool that itches my face too! I have a 1/2 yard fleece remnant that I was going to use for a dog coat but now it's for me! Thanks!
Posted: 9:15 pm on January 1st

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