Skill level: Advanced Beginner
Knit your favorite Purim treat! Bring a little extra joy to your Purim parties with knitted Hamantaschen. These cute cookies are simple to knit and the pattern includes lots of tutorials. Get whimsical with your colors or stick to traditional cookie- and jam-colored fillings. Although the pattern calls for worsted weight, you can get quite creative with yarn sizes, knitting these with fingering weight on size US 0 (2 mm) needles for a pair of Hamantaschen earrings or on super bulky weight with size US 17 (12 mm) needles for a Hamantaschen pillow. With all these options, it’s time to pick up your needles and get baking!
What’s a Hamantaschen? A traditional Purim treat, hamantaschen, are designed to represent the terrible Haman. Haman was an advisor to the Persian King Xerxes I whose queen was Queen Esther. Haman plotted to massacre the Jewish people. Queen Esther, a Jew herself (a fact which was not known to the King or Haman), created a plan to save the Jews and expose Haman. She was successful. Purim celebrates the survival of the Jewish people in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran).
Not Jewish but know someone who is? Purim traditions include gift-giving and charity. Knit a Hamantaschen for a Jewish friend to show solidarity and bring a smile to their face.
Construction Details:
The Hamantaschen are worked in two separate pieces. The dough is worked in the round from the outer edge towards the center with decreases. The filling is worked flat. The pieces are stitched together and stuffed. A seaming photo tutorial is included as is a video seaming tutorial.
Skills Required:
Long-Tail Cast On
Joining in the Round
Working with DPN
Knit/Purl
Decreasing (K2tog, SSK, P2tog, SSP, Sk2po)
Whip Stitch and Mattress Stitch seaming
I have a robust YouTube channel with tutorials for these techniques. Subscribe here.
Sizes: One Size
Finished measurements: Approximately 5”/12 cm along each outer edge of the triangle.
Gauge: 20 sts and 24 rounds = 4”/10 cm in Stockinette Stitch using size needle to obtain gauge.
Needles: US 6 (4 mm) DPN or size needed for gauge. US 5 (3.75 mm) circular needle 16”/40 cm or one size smaller than size needed for gauge. Adjust needle size as necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Yarn: Worsted weight (CYCA #4) yarn in two colors.
Dough Color (MC): Approximately 25 yards.
Filling Color (CC): Approximately 13 yards.
Samples made with Berroco Vintage (52% acrylic, 40% wool, 8% nylon; 218 yds/100 g) in colors 5104 – Mushroom (dough color) and 5151 – Cardinal, 51130 – Tangerine, 5123 – Blush, 51122 – Violet, 51105 – Petunia (filling colors).
Other Materials: Stitch marker, tapestry needle, fiber fill for stuffing the cookie.
Proceeds from pattern sales of the Hamantaschen pattern will be donated to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the leading anti-hate organization in the world. The ADL provides education, resources, and research and works to keep communities safe from antisemitism, bias, and hate.
