Berroco Sly Hat Knitting Pattern

Berroco Sly Knit Hat

What Is Being Made

The Berroco Sly is an intermediate-level knit hat designed by Emily Nora O'Neil. This seamless, elegant hat features a finished circumference of approximately 19 inches and a height of 9½ inches after steaming. The design combines decorative cable and lace stitch patterns to create a sophisticated, textured accessory suitable for various occasions.

Construction Techniques

The Sly hat is constructed using bottom-up knitting, meaning you begin at the brim and work upward toward the crown. The hat is primarily worked in the round using circular knitting needles, which creates a seamless construction with no side seams. This method is efficient and produces a polished, professional finish. Double-pointed needles are introduced toward the crown when the stitch count becomes too small for the circular needle, allowing you to complete the decreases smoothly. The pattern also incorporates cable techniques that require a cable needle to create the twisted, three-dimensional texture characteristic of cable knitting.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The hat features two primary stitch patterns that work together to create visual interest:

• Cable Pattern: Worked over 10 stitches in an 8-row repeat, this pattern alternates between knit and purl stitches with cable crosses. The cable crosses are created by slipping stitches onto a cable needle and holding them either to the back or front of the work before knitting the next stitches, then knitting the held stitches. This creates the characteristic twisted rope-like appearance of cables.
• Lace Pattern: Worked over a multiple of 2 stitches, this pattern uses yarn overs and knit-two-together decreases to create openwork sections. The yarn overs create small eyelet holes, while the decreases maintain stitch count, resulting in an airy, delicate texture that contrasts with the solid cables.

Materials and Tools

The Sly hat requires 1 ball of Berroco Boboli Lace yarn (100 grams) in colorway #4395 Tree Swing. This yarn choice contributes to the lace pattern's delicate appearance. You will need a 16-inch circular knitting needle in size 6 (4.00 mm), one set of four double-pointed needles in size 6 (4.00 mm), a cable needle for managing cable stitches, and a tapestry needle for finishing. The recommended gauge is 18 stitches and 32 rounds per 4 inches when worked in the lace pattern, and checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished hat meets the specified dimensions.