AMANO Carmen Hat Knitting Pattern

AMANO Carmen Hat

What is Being Made

The AMANO Carmen Hat is a seamless, intermediate-level knitted hat designed by Martha Wissing for the Fall/Winter 17/18 season. This one-size hat features a finished circumference of 20 inches (51 cm) and showcases decorative cable patterns throughout the crown. The hat is constructed using a bottom-up approach, worked entirely in the round to create a polished, seamless finish without visible seams.

Techniques Used

This design employs several key knitting techniques that contribute to its sophisticated appearance and construction:

• Worked in the Round: The hat is knitted circularly from the cast-on edge upward, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous, seamless fabric.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The hat begins at the brim and progresses toward the crown, allowing for easy try-on adjustments and intuitive sizing.
• Cable Patterns: Multiple cable stitches are integrated throughout the design, created by slipping stitches to a cable needle and crossing them over other stitches to form twisted, three-dimensional textures.
• Decreases: Strategic decreases using k2tog (knit two together) and SSK (slip, slip, knit) techniques shape the crown as stitches are gradually reduced toward the top.

Stitches Used

The Carmen Hat utilizes a focused range of stitches to create its textured appearance:

• Knit Stitch: The foundational stitch forming the base fabric.
• Purl Stitch: Used to create contrast and definition within the cable pattern sections.
• Cable Stitches: Four distinct cable variations are employed throughout the design:
  • Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold to back, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle
  • Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle
  • Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold to back, knit 2, then purl 2 from cable needle
  • Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold to front, knit 2, then purl 2 from cable needle
• Decreases: K2tog and SSK stitches shape the crown as the stitch count reduces from the initial 160 cast-on stitches.

Materials and Tools

The Carmen Hat is designed to be worked with specific materials and needles to achieve the correct gauge and fabric characteristics:

• Yarn: 2 hanks of AMANO MAYU (50 grams each) in colorway #2010 Stone Gray. AMANO MAYU is the yarn specified for this pattern, providing the appropriate weight and texture for the cable-work design.
• Needles: The pattern requires a 16-inch circular knitting needle in size 4 (3.5 mm) for the initial ribbed section and a 16-inch circular needle in size 6 (4 mm) for the main body. Double-pointed needles (dpn) in size 6 (4 mm) are used when the stitch count becomes too small to work comfortably on the circular needle during crown shaping.
• Additional Tools: A cable needle (cn) for manipulating cable stitches, and stitch markers to track the beginning of each round.

Gauge and Pattern Notes

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit. The pattern specifies two different gauges depending on the stitch pattern being worked: 32 stitches and 30 rows equal 4 inches (10.2 cm) in the cable pattern, while 22 stitches and 30 rows equal 4 inches (10.2 cm) in stockinette stitch. The pattern is worked from a chart that is read from right to left on every round, with a 32-stitch repeat that decreases as the crown shaping progresses. The hat begins with a cast-on of 160 stitches and includes finishing steps such as weaving in ends and optional blocking to enhance the final appearance.