Olive Grove Twisted Beanie Free Pattern: A Knit Earflap Hat with Polka Dots

Introduction

Welcome to the Olive Grove Twisted Beanie — a fitted, mid-century-modern earflap hat that looks far more complicated than it actually is. This project is perfect for a brand-new knitter who has just learned to knit and purl and wants a real, wearable finished object to show for it. The self-striping olive and ochre sock yarn does all the colorwork for you, while simple twisted stitches create tiny raised polka dots and a dense, cozy ribbed brim. The finished hat is a soft, matte, woolly cylinder about 19 inches (48 cm) around and 8.5 inches (21.5 cm) tall, with two small pointed earflap tabs that hug the ears and add a charming vintage touch. It feels light but warm, and the little dots catch the light as you move.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Approximately 200–230 yards (183–210 m) of self-striping fingering-weight sock yarn (75% superwash wool, 25% nylon), 400 yards (366 m) per 100 g skein, in an olive and ochre colorway with alternating olive-green and golden-ochre stripes. One skein is plenty.
• Circular needle: US 2 (2.75 mm), 16-inch (40 cm) cable — or the size you need to get gauge.
• Double-pointed needles (DPNs): One set of US 2 (2.75 mm) DPNs (usually 4 or 5 needles per set) for the crown and earflaps.
• Cable needle or spare DPN: One extra needle to help with the twisted stitches (optional but handy).
• Stitch markers: At least 1 to mark the beginning of the round; a few extra are helpful.
• Tapestry needle: A blunt-tipped yarn needle for weaving in ends.
• Scissors: Any small pair for cutting yarn.
• Finished size: Fits an average woman's head of 21–22 inches (53–56 cm) circumference. The finished hat measures approximately 19 inches (48 cm) unstretched at the brim and 8.5 inches (21.5 cm) tall from brim to crown, with earflaps adding about 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) below the brim.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every abbreviation used in this pattern is listed here. Read this section once before you begin — no prior knowledge is assumed.

• st / sts — stitch / stitches. One "stitch" is one loop on your needle.
• k — knit stitch. With the yarn behind your work, insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from left to right, wrap the yarn around, and pull a loop through.
• p — purl stitch. With the yarn in front of your work, insert the right needle into the front of the stitch from right to left, wrap the yarn, and pull a loop through.
• tw-k — twisted knit. Knit into the back loop of the stitch instead of the front. This twists the stitch and makes it pop forward. (Insert the right needle into the back of the stitch, wrap, pull through.)
• tw-p — twisted purl. Purl into the back loop of the stitch. (Insert the right needle into the back of the stitch from right to left, wrap, pull through.)
• k2tog — knit two stitches together. Insert the right needle into the next two stitches at once and knit them as one. This decreases your stitch count by one.
• slip 1 purlwise / knitwise — move one stitch from the left needle to the right needle without working it. "Purlwise" means move it as if to purl; "knitwise" means move it as if to knit.
• cast on — the very first step: creating the starting loops on your needle.
• bind off — the final step: closing the live stitches so the edge doesn't unravel.
• pick up and knit — insert your needle into an edge stitch, wrap the yarn, and pull up a new loop, creating new stitches along an existing edge.
• RS / WS — right side (the outside of the hat) / wrong side (the inside).
• stockinette stitch (in the round) — knit every round. The fabric shows smooth "V" shapes on the outside.
• round — one complete pass around the circular hat (used when working in the round).
• row — one complete pass back and forth (used when working flat, like the earflaps).
• gauge — how many stitches and rounds fit in a set measurement (see next section).

Gauge

32 stitches and 44 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch worked in the round, blocked.

Gauge matters because it controls the finished size. If your stitches are bigger than this, the hat will be too loose; if smaller, it will be too tight. The twisted-stitch ribbing pulls in slightly, so always measure your gauge on the smooth stockinette sections, not the ribbing.

How to make a gauge swatch: Cast on about 40 stitches with your circular needle, join to work in the round (or work back and forth and ignore the edges), and knit every round for about 5 inches (12.5 cm). Bind off, soak the swatch in cool water, press it flat in a towel, and let it dry. Lay a ruler across the middle and count how many stitches fit in 4 inches (10 cm). If you have more than 32, go up a needle size; if fewer, go down. Knit a new swatch to confirm.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker at the join. Slip it from the left needle to the right at the start of every round so you always know where a round begins and ends.
• Don't pull your yarn tight. Keep an even, relaxed tension. Tight stitches make the twisted stitches hard to work and make the hat too small.
• Count your polka dots, not your rounds. The dots sit in 8 fixed columns. Every 6th round you work a dot round; between them you simply knit. If you lose track, count the plain rounds between dot rounds — there should be 5.
• Watch the join. When you first join to work in the round, make sure the cast-on edge is not twisted around the needle. Straighten it before knitting the first stitch.
• Switch to DPNs early. When the hat gets too small to stretch around the circular cable comfortably, move to the double-pointed needles. It's easier than fighting the cable.
• Trust the process on the crown. The crown decreases look like a lot of steps, but each decrease round is followed by a plain knit round. Just follow them one at a time.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Stitch Guide (read first)

Twisted-stitch rib pattern (multiple of 4 stitches): Round 1: *tw-k1, p2, tw-k1; repeat from * to end. Repeat Round 1 for the rib pattern.

Polka dot: A single twisted knit stitch worked against a stockinette background. On polka-dot rounds, work the designated stitch as tw-k; on all other rounds, knit it normally.

Body of the Hat (worked bottom-up in the round)

Set-up: Using the circular needle, cast on 152 stitches using the long-tail cast-on. Place a marker and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist the cast-on edge.

Rounds 1–16: Work in the twisted-stitch rib pattern (Round 1 above) for 1.5 inches (4 cm), approximately 16 rounds. (152 sts)

Transition round (polka-dot round 1 of 5): Knit all stitches, and on this round work the first polka-dot round as follows: k9, tw-k1, *k18, tw-k1; repeat from * 6 more times, k9. (152 sts; 8 polka dots placed evenly around the hat, each dot separated by 18 stitches, with 9 stitches on either side of the join.)

Polka-dot sequence: Continue in stockinette stitch (knit every round). Every 6th round, work a polka-dot round, working tw-k in each of the 8 established dot positions and knitting all other stitches. Between dot rounds, knit every stitch. Work a total of 5 polka-dot rounds (including the transition round), ending with a plain round.

Continue in stockinette (knit every round) until the hat measures 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) from the cast-on edge, ending after a plain round.

Crown Shaping

Change to double-pointed needles when the circumference becomes too small for the circular needle.

Set-up round: *k17, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (144 sts)

Round 1: Knit. (144 sts)

Round 2: *k16, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (136 sts)

Round 3: Knit. (136 sts)

Round 4: *k15, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (128 sts)

Round 5: Knit. (128 sts)

Round 6: *k14, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (120 sts)

Round 7: Knit. (120 sts)

Round 8: *k13, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (112 sts)

Round 9: Knit. (112 sts)

Round 10: *k12, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (104 sts)

Round 11: Knit. (104 sts)

Round 12: *k11, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (96 sts)

Round 13: Knit. (96 sts)

Round 14: *k10, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (88 sts)

Round 15: Knit. (88 sts)

Round 16: *k9, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (80 sts)

Round 17: Knit. (80 sts)

Round 18: *k8, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (72 sts)

Round 19: Knit. (72 sts)

Round 20: *k7, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (64 sts)

Round 21: Knit. (64 sts)

Round 22: *k6, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (56 sts)

Round 23: Knit. (56 sts)

Round 24: *k5, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (48 sts)

Round 25: Knit. (48 sts)

Round 26: *k4, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (40 sts)

Round 27: Knit. (40 sts)

Round 28: *k3, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (32 sts)

Round 29: *k2, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (24 sts)

Round 30: *k1, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (16 sts)

Round 31: *k2tog; repeat from * to end. (8 sts)

Cut yarn leaving a 6-inch (15 cm) tail. Thread the tail through the remaining 8 stitches, pull tight, and fasten off on the inside of the crown.

Earflaps (make 2, worked flat)

The earflaps are picked up along the cast-on edge and knitted downward as small tabs.

First earflap: With the right side facing and using a double-pointed needle, pick up and knit 15 stitches along the cast-on edge, centered over one side of the hat (approximately 4.5 inches / 11.5 cm of the brim, positioned so the flap sits over the ear).

Row 1 (WS): Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (15 sts)

Row 2 (RS): Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (14 sts)

Row 3: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (14 sts)

Row 4: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (13 sts)

Row 5: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (13 sts)

Row 6: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (12 sts)

Row 7: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (12 sts)

Row 8: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (11 sts)

Row 9: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (11 sts)

Row 10: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (10 sts)

Row 11: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (10 sts)

Row 12: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (9 sts)

Row 13: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (9 sts)

Row 14: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (8 sts)

Row 15: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (8 sts)

Row 16: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (7 sts)

Row 17: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (7 sts)

Row 18: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (6 sts)

Row 19: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to end. (6 sts)

Row 20: Slip 1 knitwise, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. (5 sts)

Bind off all 5 stitches knitwise. Fasten off and weave in the end.

Second earflap: Pick up and knit 15 stitches along the opposite side of the cast-on edge, directly across from the first earflap, and work as for the first earflap.

Assembly and Finishing

Weaving in ends: Thread each yarn tail onto the tapestry needle. On the wrong side of the hat, weave the tail in and out through the backs of several stitches, changing direction once or twice so it can't work loose. Trim close to the fabric.

Seaming: There is no seaming on this hat — the body is knitted in one piece in the round, and the earflaps are picked up and knitted directly onto the brim. If the picked-up edge of an earflap looks slightly loose, use the tapestry needle and a short length of yarn to snug the base of the flap to the brim with a few small stitches on the inside.

Blocking: Soak the hat in cool water for about 15 minutes. Gently squeeze (do not wring) out the water, then roll it in a clean towel and press to remove more moisture. Lay the hat flat on a dry towel, shaping the crown into a gentle dome and smoothing the earflaps flat by hand. Do not stretch the twisted-stitch ribbing aggressively — just let it relax. Leave it to dry completely, away from direct heat. The self-striping yarn will create horizontal olive and ochre bands across the hat, with the twisted polka dots catching the light against the stockinette background.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the color story: Any self-striping or gradient fingering-weight sock yarn works beautifully. A solid olive with a contrasting ochre dot yarn (held double for the dots only) gives a bolder, more graphic look.
• Adjust the size: The pattern is a multiple of 4 stitches. To make a smaller hat, cast on 140 stitches; for a larger hat, cast on 164. Adjust the crown set-up round so the first decrease round divides evenly (for 140 sts, work *k16, k2tog; for 164 sts, work *k18, k2tog), then continue the decrease sequence as written.
• Substitute the yarn: A smooth sport-weight yarn will knit up faster and slightly larger — swatch first and adjust needle size to keep gauge. Avoid fuzzy or highly textured yarns, which hide the twisted polka dots.
• Add a little extra warmth: Work the ribbing for 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) instead of 1.5 inches for a deeper, foldable brim, and add 4 extra plain rounds before the crown shaping to keep the total height the same.