Fair Isle Hat Free Knitting Pattern (Hearts Design)

In this blog post, you will see a Fair Isle hat free knitting pattern.

This fair isle hat pattern is an excellent project for anyone who is learning how to knit in the round.

I wanted to share with you an easy hat to knit that has two colors and a holiday vibe!

This hat is perfect for the colder weather, as it has been knit with super bulky yarn.

Grab the inexpensive, ad-free, PDF printable pattern in my shop here.

An Easy-Level Knitting Pattern

This is an easy pattern for those of you who are advanced beginner level, and the techniques you will need to know are knit, purl, k2tog, and knitting in the round.

If you have never knitted in the round before, you can watch my video tutorial here. – How to join knitting in the round with circular knitting needles

There is also stranded colorwork knitting in the pattern, meaning you will knit with more than one color.

This is my favorite fair isle pattern, as it creates a beautiful festive design on the main body of the hat.

*Please scroll down to see the free pattern*

woman wearing a red and white knitted hat

What Is Fair Isle Knitting?

Fair Isle knitting, which is also known more accurately as stranded knitting, is a technique for working two (or more) colors of yarn in the same row.

The color changes in Fair Isle are close together, as this allows you to carry the yarn you aren’t knitting with across the back of the piece as you go.

You will pick up each strand as needed, leaving a strand of yarn on the inside of the work.

The Terms

Fair Isle knitting is pretty easy to do and in this case, makes a nice warm knitted hat because all those strands of yarn add extra bulk and warmth.
Stranded knitting is often worked in the round, and it’s even easier to do that way than flat.

How To Knit Fair Isle?

To knit Fair Isle colorwork, begin by selecting two or more contrasting colors of yarn.

When casting on, make a slip knot with your main color and choose a dominant hand for each color.
Holding one color in each hand helps streamline the process.
As you knit the first stitch with the main color(mc), introduce the contrasting color (cc) from behind, leaving a tail.
Continue switching between colors according to your Fair Isle pattern, ensuring to catch the floats at the back of the work every few stitches to prevent long loops.
Read the pattern chart carefully, following it from right to left for right-side rows and vice versa for wrong-side rows.
Managing tension is crucial; strive for even tension between the two yarns to maintain a consistent appearance.
Practice on small swatches to refine your tension before embarking on larger projects. Finally, weave in ends as you change colors and block your finished work for a polished result.
As a beginner in Fair Isle knitting, start with simpler patterns that involve fewer color changes and work your way up to more intricate designs.

Remember that patience and practice are key to mastering this technique. Over time, you’ll become more comfortable with coordinating colors, managing floats, and creating beautiful, multicolored projects.

Don’t be discouraged by initial challenges; each project is an opportunity to refine your skills and produce unique, eye-catching knitwear.

Making a fair isle beanie pattern is a great way to experiment with fair isle designs and different colors.

free fair isle hat pattern for beginners

The Yarn I Used…

I made the beanie hat using two yarns.

The first was 1 skein of super bulky yarn – Yarn Art Alpine Alpaca in red.

I also used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn in Fisherman 099 for the coordinating color and for the pom-pom.

This was knit up quite quickly and used only one skein of yarn from the red and scraps of the fisherman (white).

Any super bulky weight yarn 06 will be okay to use for this pattern.

stranded knitting hat in super bulky yarn

Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern:

This pattern is great for any advanced beginner knitters.

You should be comfortable casting on (how to cast on knitting) and casting off (how to cast off knitting for total beginners (step by step)), as well as knitting in garter stitch (how to knit garter stitch).
You should be comfortable working the purl stitch (how to knit the purl stitch (for beginners + a video tutorial)).
You should be comfortable knitting in the round (how to join knitting in the round with circular knitting needles).
You should also be comfortable reading knitting patterns
And understanding knitting abbreviations and terms (US and UK).

More Hat Patterns

If you would like to make more knitted items/hats for women, please take a look at the other patterns in the women’s knitting pattern library.

There are also hat patterns for women, men, babies, and kids in the hat pattern library. – Hat Patterns

You may also like these free patterns for adult-sized hats:

More Colorwork Patterns

Check out these free hat knitting patterns if you want to experiment with different colorwork designs and different colors.

A Great Christmas Gift

Moreover, like all hat patterns, this is a great pattern to make as a Christmas gift!

It’s easy for advanced beginners and experienced knitters,

And the colorwork pattern and the color combination make it perfect for the holiday season!

The Free Knitting Pattern

Grab the inexpensive, ad-free, PDF printable pattern in my shop here.

Notes

Skill Level – Easy

The hat knits up quickly in super bulky yarn, and the simple design makes for a relaxing and enjoyable knit.

Copyright Info

Please do not copy, sell, redistribute, or republish this pattern.
If you wish to share this pattern, link to the pattern page only.
You may sell items produced using this pattern.
Do NOT use the copyrighted photos for your product listing.
For the copyright T&C, please read my Terms of Use.

Size –

The Supplies You Need…

Yarn

1 skein or scraps of super bulky yarn – white (LionBrand wool ease thick and quick in fisherman) – you don’t need a full skein of this, just enough for the accent color and the pom pom.
1 skein of super bulky yarn – Red – Yarn Art Alpine Alpaca.
Suitable for size 10.00mm (US 15) needles.
Super Bulky/Super Chunky/14 Ply.
Yarn Weight Guide (+ Conversion Chart)

Yarn Substitute List

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick
Lion Brand Hometown USA
Rowan Big Wool
Bernat Softee Chunky
Paintbox Yarns Simply Super Chunky
Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Super Chunky
MillaMia Naturally Super Soft Super Chunky
King Cole Big Value Super Chunky

Needles

Set of 10.00mm (US 15) 16″ circular knitting needles

Notions

Tape measure
Darning needle
Scissors
Stitch markers

Other Tools

Pom pom maker Clover 2 – 1/2 inch Large.

Abbreviations / Knitting Abbreviations And Terms (US And UK) List

Approx = Approximately
Beg = Begin(ning)
Cont = Continue(ing)
K = Knit
K2tog = Knit the next 2 stitches together
M1 = Make one stitch
P = Purl
PM = Place marker
Rem = Remaining
Rep = Repeat
Rnd(s) = Round(s)
St(s) = Stitch(es)

The Fair Isle Knit Hat Pattern

Yarn A – Red / Yarn B – White

Cast on > 38 sts in Yarn A, join in the round and pm, being careful not to twist the sts.
1st rnd: *K1, P1* every round to form 1×1 ribbing.
Cont to knit in rib until the work measures 2 inches from the co edge.
Next row: M1 stitch and knit the round / so you now have 39 sts.
Next row: (Add in Yarn B) *Knit 2 Yarn A, Knit 1 Yarn B / add in the accent color by knitting normally and knit those stitches loosely so that when the hat is worn, those stitches don’t get lost in the fabric.
Knit 2 rounds Yarn A*

These three rounds from * to * form the pattern – continue until the hat measures 8 inches from the cast-on edge.

Decrease >

Shape top: 1st rnd: *K1. K2tog. Rep from * to the end of the round, K1.
2nd rnd: Knit to the end of the round.
3rd rnd: *K2tog. Rep to the end of the round.

Break yarn.

Draw the end through rem sts and fasten securely.

Sew in any loose ends.

Make a pom pom and securely fasten it to the top of the hat.

Knitting Lessons

If you are a new knitter and need help with the knitting basics, check out the knitting lessons here – Knitting Lessons (With Video Tutorials).

There, you will find step-by-step tutorials for all the different knitting techniques a newbie needs to know.

Including how to cast on, knit the knit stitch, the stockinette stitch, the rib stitch, the garter stitch, the mattress stitch, short rows, a list of knitting abbreviations, and more.

And if you need more video tutorials, check out my YouTube channel here – Handy Little Me – YouTube.

Free Knitting Patterns For Christmas

Christmas Crafts

Share your work with us…

I love seeing your finished work on social media!

If you enjoyed making the hat, I’d love to see yours on Instagram.

Be sure to tag me @handylittleme.

If you are on Facebook, stop over to the Handylittleme Facebook page and Handylittleme Facebook group and share a photo.

I’d love to see your work!

Happy Knitting!

2 Comments

Gina Oram says:

May 15, 2020 at 11:55 pm

I am new to selling my items and am working on starting an Etsy page. I love your Fair Isle Hat Knitting Pattern and was wondering if it is okay with you if I sell the hat I made from this pattern. I would gladly give you credit as the designer on my sales tag. Do you have a preference as to which name to use to give you credit? Would like your name or handylittleme.com?
Thank you for your time.
GIna

1. Louise Bollanos says:
  
  May 16, 2020 at 7:36 am
  
  Hello Gina, yes you can sell the finished items that you make from the hat pattern.
  But you must use your own photographs.
  You can say in your shop listing that you got the pattern from handylittleme.com.
  Happy knitting and good luck with your Etsy shop 🙂
  Louise