Stranded Knitting Hat Pattern | The Willow
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An Easy Hat Knitting Pattern
This is an easy pattern for those of you who are at the advanced beginner level, and the techniques you will need to know are knit, purl, k2tog, and knitting in the round.
Using mainly knit and purl stitches it will also introduce you to decreasing and shaping.
If you have never knit in the round before, you can watch my video tutorial here.
There is also stranded colorwork in the pattern; this means that you will knit with more than one main color.
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Stranded Knitting
Fair Isle knitting, also known more accurately as stranded knitting or colorwork knitting, is a technique for working two (or more) yarn colors 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 (the wrong side) as you go.
You will pick up each strand as needed, leaving 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 than flat.
You could try a swatch sample to see how the colors can work knit flat and in the round.
The knitted fabric can sometimes have puckering from carrying the colors across the back of the work.
You can see in the photos of the hat that it looks like stockinette stitch because it was knit in the round on circular needles (every row is knit).
You can see that the dominant color is the lighter-colored yarn, and the secondary color is mustard.
The yarn I used…
I made the beanie hat using two different yarns – the first was Hayfield Chunky Tweed in Crigglestone 180, knit with two strands together.
As an alternative, you could use the colors wheat or oatmeal in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn.
I also used mustard yarn for a pop of color I had left in my stash for the top of the hat, which was also knit with two strands together.
This was knit up quite quickly and used less than one skein of both colors.
Any super bulky weight yarn 06 will be okay to use for this pattern to match the needle size.
Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern:
This pattern is excellent for any advanced beginner knitters.
- Knitting cast-on methods.
- Knitting Lessons
- How to cast on knitting.
- How to cast off knitting.
- How to knit the garter stitch.
- How to knit the purl stitch.
- How to knit stockinette stitch.
- How to read knitting patterns.
- Knitting abbreviations and terms.
- How to knit rib stitch.
- How to knit in the round.
More Hat Patterns
If you want to make more knitted items/hats for women, please look at the other patterns in the women’s knitting pattern library.
The hat pattern library also has hat patterns for women, men, babies, and kids.
You may also like these free patterns for adult-sized hats:
The Willow Hat Knitting Pattern
Purchase the inexpensive, ad-free, PDF printable pattern in my shop here.
Notes
The colorwork hat knits up quickly in super bulky yarn, and the simple fair isle pattern makes for a relaxing and enjoyable knit.
When working with more than one color, you will see that the yarns are carried across the wrong side of the work.
There is no colorwork chart for this pattern, only the written instructions.
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 copyrighted photos for your product listing.
- For the copyright T&C, please read my Terms of Use.
Skill Level – Easy
Size –
- Adult woman
- The finished hat: Height w/o pom = 9 inches / Width (flat and unstretched) = 9 inches
- To fit a head with a circumference size – of around 22-26 inches.
Gauge – 10 sts and 15 rounds = 4 in/10 cm.
Try to keep an even tension so the yarn does not pucker.
The Supplies You Need…
Yarn
- 1 skein or scraps of Hayfield Chunky Tweed in Crigglestone 180 / knit with two strands together or as an alternative wheat or oatmeal from Lion Brand wool ease thick and quick yarn.
- 1 skein or scraps of super bulky yarn – in a coordinating color (I used mustard).
- Super bulky weight – 106 yards. / yarn weight guide
Needles
Notions
- Tape measure
- Darning needle/tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
Other Tools
- Pom pom maker Clover 2 – 1/2 inch Large.
Abbreviations / Knitting Abbreviations List
- Approx = Approximately
- Beg = Begin(ning)
- Cont = Continue(ing)
- K = Knit
- K2tog = Knit the next 2 stitches together
- P = Purl
- PM = Place marker
- Rem = Remaining
- Rep = Repeat
- Rnd(s) = Round(s)
- St(s) = Stitch(es)
Hat Pattern
Yarn A – Main color (wheat) / Yarn B – Accent color (mustard)
- In Yarn A – CO 36 sts (S/M) or 48 sts (L), join in the round and pm, being careful not to twist the sts.
- Round 1: K2, P1, *K3, P1, K3, P1* rep from * to * to the last st, K1.
- Rep the first round until the brim of the hat measures 2 inches.
- Cont to knit every round in Yarn A until the piece measures 4.5 inches from the CO edge.
- K2 Yarn A. K1 Yarn B – add in the accent color by knitting the next st and knitting with the accent color.
*Tip – when you knit with the accent color (yarn B), don’t pull tight so that you will be able to see the stitches.*
- Knit the round with Yarn A
- K1 Yarn B, K2 Yarn A, – rep to the end of the round.
- Knit round with Yarn B
- K2 Yarn B, K1 Yarn A, – rep to the end of the round.
- Knit round with Yarn B
- K1 Yarn A, K2 Yarn B, – rep to the end of the round.
- Cont to knit every round in Yarn B until the hat measures 8.5 inches from the co edge.
- Decrease the crown; K2tog – rep to the end of the round.
- Cut a length of yarn and thread through the darning needle, then thread through the rem sts on the needles and pull up tight.
- Secure the top of the hat by pulling it together and fastening off the inside of the hat.
- Sew in any loose ends and make sure you secure the accent yarn that is loose on the inside of the hat.
- Add a pom pom if you wish.
Share your work with us…
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I’d love to see your work.
Happy Knitting!
