Button Flap Hat Knitting Pattern

Button Flap Hat Knitting Pattern by Plymouth Yarn

Project Overview

The Button Flap Hat is a ladies-sized knitting pattern designed by Plymouth Yarn, available as a downloadable PDF. This hat features a distinctive construction method that begins with a flat rectangular panel worked in Plait Stitch, which is then seamed and shaped into a crown with strategic decreases. The finished hat measures approximately 21 inches around with an 8-inch height, making it a comfortable fit for most adult women.

Materials and Gauge

This project requires 2 balls of 100-gram Homestead yarn from Plymouth Yarn. The recommended gauge is 16 stitches over 4 inches when working the Plait Stitch pattern on US size 7 (4.5mm) needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the proper finished dimensions. Additional materials include US size 7 double-pointed needles for the crown shaping, one large button, and a tapestry needle for seaming and finishing.

Plait Stitch Technique

The body of the hat is worked entirely in Plait Stitch, a textured two-row repeat pattern that creates an interlocking, braided appearance. This stitch pattern works over multiples of 3 stitches plus 2 edge stitches. Row 1 (worked on the wrong side) consists of alternating purl 2 stitches and knit 1 stitch across the row. Row 2 (worked on the right side) features the characteristic plait movement: skip the first stitch, knit the second stitch, then pass the skipped stitch over the knit stitch, knit the first stitch, then purl 1 stitch. This crossing technique is repeated across the row until the final 2 stitches, which are worked in the same skip-and-cross manner.

The Plait Stitch creates a visually interesting texture with a slight three-dimensional quality that resembles interwoven strands. Knitters repeat these two rows continuously until the flat panel reaches the full 21-inch circumference measurement, ending with Row 2 of the pattern before binding off.

Construction Method

The hat is constructed in two main sections: the body panel and the crown. The body begins with casting on 62 stitches and working in Plait Stitch pattern until the piece measures 21 inches in length. Once the desired length is achieved, the stitches are bound off while maintaining the pattern integrity. The long rectangular panel is then seamed by joining the cast-on edge to the bound-off edge, creating a tube.

To form the crown, 72 stitches are picked up and knitted along the long edge of the Plait Stitch piece using double-pointed needles, distributing the stitches evenly across 3 needles. A stitch marker is placed to indicate the beginning of the round, and the knitter joins to work in the round. The crown is shaped through a series of strategic decreases worked over 16 rounds.

Crown Shaping and Decreases

The crown shaping follows a progressive decrease pattern that gradually reduces the stitch count from 72 to just 4 stitches. The decreases are worked using the k2tog (knit 2 together) technique, which creates a right-leaning decrease. The pattern alternates between decrease rounds and plain knit rounds, allowing the fabric to maintain its structure while tapering smoothly:

• Round 1: Knit 7, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 64 stitches
• Round 3: Knit 6, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 56 stitches
• Round 5: Knit 5, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 48 stitches
• Round 7: Knit 4, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 40 stitches
• Round 9: Knit 3, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 32 stitches
• Round 11: Knit 2, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 24 stitches
• Round 13: Knit 1, k2tog repeated to end, reducing to 16 stitches
• Round 15: K2tog repeated to end, reducing to 8 stitches
• Round 16: K