Azusa Hat Knitting Pattern

Azusa Hat in Berroco Ginkgo

What is Being Made

The Azusa Hat is a classic knitted beanie designed by Alison Green. This finished hat measures approximately 20 inches around the crown with a height of 9 inches, making it a versatile, one-size-fits-most design suitable for a range of head sizes. The hat features a two-color colorwork pattern created through strategic yarn changes and slip-stitch techniques, resulting in a visually interesting texture that combines solid stockinette sections with a decorative slip-stitch band.

Techniques Used

The Azusa Hat employs several fundamental knitting techniques executed in the round. The pattern begins with a ribbed cuff created using alternating purl and knit rounds worked on smaller needles to create elasticity and a snug fit. The main body transitions to larger needles and features a slip-stitch colorwork pattern, which is a technique where stitches are slipped rather than knitted to create visual texture without carrying yarn across the back of the work. This method is ideal for beginners exploring colorwork, as it avoids the complexity of traditional stranded knitting.

The crown shaping employs strategic decreases worked at marked intervals. The pattern uses a set-up round to establish decrease points, then alternates between decrease rounds worked every other round and consecutive decrease rounds to smoothly taper the crown. Knitters transition from circular needles to double-pointed needles as stitch counts decrease, a standard technique for closing the crown of hats worked in the round. The final stitches are drawn closed using a tapestry needle threaded through the remaining stitches and pulled tight to secure.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch forming the stockinette stitch fabric of the hat body
• Purl stitch (P): Used in the opening rounds to create texture and in the cuff ribbing
• Slip stitch (sl 1): Stitches slipped without working them, used in the colorwork pattern repeat of K3, sl 1
• Knit two together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used throughout the crown shaping to reduce stitch count
• Stockinette stitch (St st): The main fabric, created by knitting every round when working in the round

Materials

The Azusa Hat is worked in Berroco Ginkgo, a yarn that comes in 50-gram balls. The pattern calls for one ball each of two colors: #9602 Diamond (the main color) and #9620 Aquamarine (the contrast color). This yarn weight and fiber content are specifically chosen to achieve the correct gauge and drape for this design.

Needles required include a 16-inch circular knitting needle in both size 6 (4.00 mm) and size 7 (4.50 mm), allowing for gauge adjustment and the transition from cuff to body. A set of four double-pointed knitting needles in size 7 (4.50 mm) is necessary for closing the crown once stitches become too few for the circular needle. Additional tools include six stitch markers (with one in a contrasting color to mark the beginning of the round) and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and closing the crown. The pattern specifies a gauge of 19 stitches and 28 rounds over 4 inches in stockinette stitch on the larger needles, making accurate gauge checking essential before beginning.