Stranded Knitting Hat Pattern | The Willow

This stranded knitting hat pattern is an excellent project for anyone who wants to try knit colorwork.

This hat is perfect for the colder weather, worn with a warm coat or a chunky knit sweater.

Scroll down to view the free pattern or grab the PDF in my shop here.

An Easy Hat 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.

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 color.

Stranded Knitting

Fair Isle knitting, which is also known more accurately as stranded knitting or colorwork 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 (the wrong side) 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.

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 a mustard yarn for a pop of color I had leftover 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 great for any advanced beginner knitters.

• You should be comfortable casting on and casting off, as well as knitting in garter stitch.
• You should be comfortable working the purl stitch.
• You should be comfortable knitting in the round.
• You should also be comfortable reading knitting patterns.
• And understanding knitting abbreviations and terms.

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.

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

• The Fir Hat Pattern
• Classic Ribbed Hat Pattern
• Easy beginner hat pattern
• The Sofia Hat Knitting Pattern
• The Alexia Hat Knitting Pattern

The Willow Hat Knitting Pattern

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

Notes

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

You will see that the yarns when working with more than one color are carried across the wrong side of the work.

There is no colorwork chart for this pattern, only the written instructions.

• 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’s please read my Terms of Use.

Skill Level – Easy

Size –

• Adult woman
• Height w/o pom = 9 inches / Width (flat and unstretched) = 9 inches
• To fit a head with circumference size – around 22-26 inches.

Gauge – 10 sts and 15 rounds = 4in/10cm.

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 colour (I used mustard).
• Super bulky weight – 106 yards. / yarn weight guide

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 List

• Approx = Approximately
• Beg = Begin(ning)
• Cont = Continue(ing)
• K = Knit
• K2tog = Knit 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 colour by knitting the next st and knitting with the accent colour.

*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 together and fastening off 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.

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 page and share a photo.

I’d love to see your work.

Happy Knitting!