Brimmed Merino Hat Knitting Pattern

Brimmed Merino Hat in Cascade Yarns Cascade Merino

What is Being Made

This is a knitted women's brimmed hat designed by the Cascade Yarns Design Team. The finished hat measures 22 inches in circumference with a height of 6.5 inches, making it suitable for a women's medium size. The hat features a structured visor brim and a fitted crown, combining both decorative and functional elements for a polished accessory.

Craft and Skill Level

This is an intermediate-level knitting project. The pattern requires solid foundational knitting skills and introduces more advanced shaping techniques that make it suitable for knitters who have completed several basic projects and are ready to tackle more complex construction methods.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern employs several key knitting techniques to create the hat's structure:

• Stockinette Stitch — the primary stitch throughout the hat, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog) — used extensively for decreasing stitches and shaping the hat's crown and visor
• Purl 2 Together (P2tog) — decreasing technique used on wrong-side rows
• Wrap and Turn (W&T) — a short-row shaping technique that creates the contoured visor brim without cutting the yarn or adding extra stitches; this advanced method involves slipping a stitch, wrapping the yarn around it, and turning the work to knit back in the opposite direction
• Picking Up Wraps — when returning to wrapped stitches, the knitter picks up the horizontal bar created by the wrap and knits it together with the stitch it wraps, seamlessly integrating the short-row shaping

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The hat is designed to be made with Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 Merino, a premium yarn composed of 100% Merino Wool. One skein is required, containing 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and 220 yards (200 meters) of yarn. The pattern specifies color #53 (Ink Blue), though the yarn is available in multiple colorways for customization.

Tools and Gauge

The pattern calls for US 7 (4.5 mm) 16-inch circular knitting needles for the main body and US 7 (4.5 mm) double-pointed needles for the crown decreases when stitches become too few for circular needles. The required gauge is 20 stitches by 28 rows per 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch, which is essential to achieve the correct finished measurements. Additional tools include a yarn needle for weaving in ends and stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points.

Optional Stiffening

The pattern notes that buckram or crinoline may optionally be used as a stiffener for the visor, allowing the knitter to create a more structured, defined brim that holds its shape. This is a finishing option rather than a requirement.