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Fair Isle Knit Hat Pattern {With Chart}

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS THAT SUPPORT HANDY LITTLE ME CONTENT AND FREE PATTERNS.

This fair-isle knit hat pattern is an excellent project for anyone who is looking to work with more than one color in their knitting.

I wanted to share with you a colorful hat, as I usually knit hats in one or two colors.

This hat, also known as The Katara, has been made using four colors – grey, light grey, mustard, and pink.

woman wearing a fair isle knit bobble hat

An Intermediate Level Knitting Pattern

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

If you have never knit 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 in the pattern; this means that you will knit with more than one color.

*Please scroll down to see the free pattern*

back view of the fair isle hat

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 simply carry the yarn you aren’t knitting with across the back of the piece as you go.

You will pick up each strand as you need it and this leaves a strand of yarn on the inside of the work.

  • 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.
Fair isle knit hat

The yarn I used…

I made the beanie hat using four different colored yarns in Kartopu Melange Wool in grey, light grey, pink, and mustard.

This yarn may be found on Amazon or on Etsy to buy.

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

woman wearing a fair isle knit beanie hat

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

This pattern is great for any advanced beginner knitters.

Free fair isle hat knitting pattern

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 a lot of easy hat patterns that are perfect for beginners.

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:

woman wearing a fair isle knit beanie with pom pom

Fair Isle Knit Hat Pattern

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

Notes

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

Copyright Info

  • Please do not copy, sell, redistribute, or republish this pattern. 
  • Only link to the pattern page if you wish to share this pattern.
  • 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.

Skill Level – Intermediate

Size 

  • Adult woman
  • Height of hat w/o pom = 8 inches
  • Width = 8 inches (laying flat and not stretched).

Gauge – 18 stiches x 22 rounds in 4 x 4 inches/10 x 10 cm.

The Supplies You Need…

Yarn

  • Any bulky/chunky/12-ply yarn.
  • 1 x skein of Kartopu Melange Wool in M1009 – Grey
  • 1 x skein of Kartopu Melange Wool in MK928 in Light grey 1 x skein of Kartopu Melange Wool in MK135 – Pink
  • 1 x skein of Kartopu Melange Wool in K3063 – Mustard
  • Yarn Weight Guide (+ Conversion Chart)

Needles

  • 5.5 mm (US 9) 16″ circular knitting needles
  • 6 mm (US 10) 16″ circular knitting needles

Please note – you may have to change your needles for the decrease of the hat if working on the 16″ circulars becomes too tight.

This would mean using a set of size 6 mm double-pointed needles (DPNs).

If you do not have those, you could use a 60cm/24″ cable and use the magic loop technique. (View Tutorial – Magic loop knitting | step by step)

Notions

Other Tools

fair isle hat with a ribbed brim

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

  • Approx – Approximately
  • Beg – Begin(ning)
  • CO – Cast on
  • Cont – Continue(ing)
  • K – Knit
  • K2tog – Knit next 2 stitches together
  • P – Purl
  • PM – Place marker
  • P2tog – Purl next 2 stitches together Rem = Remaining
  • Rep – Repeat
  • Rnd(s) – Round(s)
  • St(s) – Stitch(es)

Hat Pattern

Yarn A – Grey / Yarn B – Light Grey / Yarn C – Mustard / Yarn D – Pink

  • With Yarn A and US 9/5.5 mm 16″ circular needles, CO 72 sts.
  • Join in the round and pm, careful not to twist the sts.
  • Work in k1, p1 rib (every round) for 2 inches.

Body of the hat

Change to US 10/6.0 mm 16″ circular needles.

  1. Round 1: *k1 with Yarn A, k1 with Yarn B. Repeat from * to the end of the round.
  2. Round 2: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn A. Repeat from * to the end of the round.
  3. Round 3: knit round with Yarn B.
  4. Round 4: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn C. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  5. Round 5: *k1 Yarn C, k1 Yarn A. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  6. Round 6: knit round with Yarn C.
  7. Round 7: *k1 Yarn C, k1 Yarn B. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  8. Round 8: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn C. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  9. Round 9: knit round with Yarn B.
  10. Round 10: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn D. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  11. Round 11: *k1 Yarn D, k1 Yarn B. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  12. Round 12: knit round with Yarn D.
  13. Round 13: *k1 Yarn D, k1 Yarn B. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  14. Round 14: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn D. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  15. Round 15: knit round with Yarn B.
  16. Round 16: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn C. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  17. Round 17: *k1 Yarn C, k1 Yarn B. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  18. Round 18: knit round with Yarn C.
  19. Round 19: *k1 Yarn C, k1 Yarn B. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  20. Round 20: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn C. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  21. Round 21: knit round with Yarn B.
  22. Round 22: *k1 Yarn B, k1 Yarn A. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  23. Round 23: *k1 Yarn A, k1 Yarn B. Repeat from * to end of the round.

Decrease hat:

In Yarn A

  1. Round 1: *k7, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  2. Round 2: knit
  3. Round 3: *k6, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  4. Round 4: knit
  5. Round 5: *k5, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  6. Round 6: knit
  7. Round 7: *k4, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  8. Round 8: knit
  9. Round 9: *k3, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  10. Round 10: knit
  11. Round 11: *k2, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.
  12. Round 12: knit
  13. Round 13: *k1, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of the round.

Cut yarn, weave the tail end through the remaining 16 sts and draw up to close the top of the hat.

Weave in ends and add a pom if you wish to the top of the hat.

Chart

Fair isle hat knitting chart

I love seeing your finished projects!

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 group and share a photo!  I’d love to see your work!

More Patterns You May Be Interested In…

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