How to Fix a Stretched Out Knit Hat

If you’ve ever worn a stretched-out knit hat, you know what kind of frustration it can cause.

It’s not just annoying when your hat is fully stretched out and droops to the ground — it can also have detrimental effects on its look and lifespan.

Thankfully, there are many methods to fix a stretched-out knit hat. You can try all these amazing ways at home with ease!

Related Post: How to Fix a Straw Cowboy Hat At Home?


How to Fix a Stretched-out Knit Hat with Different Methods?

how to make your knit hat smaller

There is more than one method you can use to fix a stretched-out knit hat at home, they include:

1. Use Washing Machine

This method is simple and easy to do.

You don’t have to spend time on hand-wash knitting, and you can repair a stretched-out knit hat within a short period of time.

Steps:

1. Put your knit hat in the washing machine.

2. Set the washing machine to the gentle cycle and set it to cold water temperature.

Add a few tablespoons of mild detergent into the water if you want.

You may also want to add some wool soap or special detergent for knit hats as well.

3. Wash your hat under running water, but keep an eye on it and stop if any parts of your hat start floating or becoming tangled in other clothing in the washing machine.

4. Dry your knit hat by air-drying it or lay it flat to dry on its sides.

Caution

Keep in mind that this method is not recommended when the knit hat is made of wool and it may shrink after washing.

2. Add Elastic

Adding elastic to a knit hat is a simple way to make it tighter or flatter.

You can also use elastic to hold down the earflap or side seam of your knit hat.

This can be accomplished by using a piece of elastic in each spot.

Steps:

1. Mark your desired length of the elastic on both ends with a pencil.

2. Sew the ends of the elastic together and then set them around your hat.

3. Then sew the ends on the inside of your knit hat to keep them in place.

Caution

Make sure you do not sew your elastic too tightly around your knit hat, as this can cause the elastic to be inelastic after use.

Also, make sure you sew it firmly enough so that it stays flat on your knit hat and does not stretch out later.

3. Add a Lining

Adding a lining to a knit hat takes only a few minutes and makes it look more finished.

You can use any kind of fabric or even gauze to construct a lining.

You will most likely need to make the lining much smaller than your hat, as the process will shrink it.

Steps:

1. Mark the shape of your hat on paper, then cut out your desired circle or rectangle.

2. Layout your paper pattern so that you can trace around it your fabric.

3. Lay your fabric piece inside your knit hat, then sew the lining to the inside of the hat to keep it in place.

Caution

Be sure not to sew a tight-fitting lining around your knit hat as this can cause fit problems later on.

4. Use Hot Water

This method is fast and easy to do. The hot water not only makes your knit hat smooth and flat but also prevents it from shrinking after ironing.

Steps:

1. Take a large pot of hot water and pour some into a washing machine basin or another large container.

Add a few tablespoons of mild detergent if you want, as this will help loosen the stiffness of the fabric of your knit hat if it is very stiff or has stiff ears.

2. Wet your knit hat with the water and ring out excess moisture.

3. Lay your knit hat in the fabric of your choice and cover it with another layer of fabric.

4. Let the basin sit undisturbed for half an hour.

5. Take your knit hat out of the basin, press it, and pat dry it with a clean cloth or paper towel to get rid of any excess water.

6. Hang it upside down to dry in the shade.

Caution

Be sure not to use hot water for a knit hat that has non-wool fibers or is synthetic, as this can cause shrinkage.

5. Blocking it

Blocking the hat may sound like an unusual term, but it is really very simple.

You can block your knit hat with this method to fix a stretched-out knit hat and make it look just like new.

This method uses a special water-soluble polymer that may be purchased from knitting shops or online stores.

Blocking a knit hat can be done in two ways: wet blocking and steam blocking.

Related Post: How to Block a Hat?


Conclusion

There are a lot of ways to fix a stretched-out knit hat at home.

And if you want to make your hat fit perfectly on your head again, these are all good options.

As long as you care for your knit hat properly and don’t wear it for too long, it should last for a very long time.