Apollo Beanie + Scarf Knitting Pattern

Apollo Beanie + Scarf in MODE at Rowan Colourmix

What is Being Made

The Apollo Beanie + Scarf is a coordinating two-piece knit set designed by Quail Studio. This pattern provides instructions for creating a seamless, top-down beanie and matching scarf using Rowan's MODE at Rowan Colourmix yarn. The beanie is sized to fit an average adult woman's head with an approximate circumference of 50 cm (19¾ inches) when unstreched. This is an intermediate-level knitting project suitable for crafters with foundational knitting skills who are ready to tackle seamless, in-the-round construction.

Techniques Used

The Apollo Beanie employs several key knitting techniques that define its construction and finished appearance:

• Top-Down Seamless Construction: The beanie is worked from the crown downward in continuous rounds, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, professional finish.
• In-the-Round Knitting: Stitches are worked circularly using double-pointed needles initially, then transitioned to a circular needle as stitch counts increase, a standard method for creating seamless tubular garments.
• Yarn-Over Increases: Strategic yarn-overs (yo) are used throughout the early rounds to create controlled, evenly distributed increases that shape the crown of the hat.
• Knit-Into Stitch Technique: Multiple stitches are created from a single stitch without slipping it off the needle, allowing the crafter to increase multiple stitches in one location for shaping.
• Ribbed Stitch Pattern: The beanie features a K1, P1 (knit one, purl one) ribbed pattern that provides stretch, structure, and a classic aesthetic.

Stitches Used

The Apollo Beanie pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in a strategic sequence:

• Knit Stitch (K): The primary stitch used throughout the pattern.
• Purl Stitch (P): Combined with knit stitches to create the ribbed texture.
• Yarn-Over (yo): Creates decorative and functional increases, particularly in the crown shaping rounds.
• K1, P1 Rib: The main stitch pattern worked continuously after the initial shaping rounds, creating vertical columns of alternating knit and purl stitches that provide elasticity and visual interest.

Materials

The Apollo Beanie + Scarf pattern calls for specific materials to achieve the intended fit, drape, and finished appearance:

• Yarn: Rowan Colourmix (50-gram balls), with 3 balls required for the complete project. The pattern was photographed in Pebble Greys (colorway 10104), though the Colourmix range offers multiple color options.
• Needles: 4mm (US size 6) double-pointed needles for casting on and initial rounds, with the option to switch to a 4mm (US size 6) circular needle measuring 40 cm when stitch counts become too large for double-pointed needles.
• Tension/Gauge: 24 stitches and 30 rounds to 10 cm measured over K1, P1 ribbing using 4mm (US 6) needles in the unstreched state. Achieving correct gauge is essential for proper fit.

Pattern Construction Overview

The beanie begins with a small cast-on of 6 stitches at the crown and expands through multiple rounds of strategic increases. The pattern progresses through three major increase sections (Rounds 6, 10, and 14), each doubling or significantly expanding the stitch count to create the dome shape of the hat. After reaching 120 stitches, the pattern transitions to continuous K1, P1 ribbing, which is worked until the beanie measures 36 cm from the cast-on edge. The piece is then cast off using the ribbing pattern to maintain the elastic edge, and finished by blocking to final measurements.