Corday In Rowan Alpaca Sparkle Hat Knitting Pattern

Corday Hat by Lisa Richardson in Rowan Alpaca Sparkle

What is Being Made

The Corday is a knitted hat designed by Lisa Richardson, crafted from Rowan Alpaca Sparkle yarn. This project creates a classic knit hat with a folded ribbed brim and fitted crown, available in either a single-color or two-color colorway option. The finished hat features a structured silhouette achieved through strategic crown shaping.

Craft and Technique Overview

This is a knitting project worked in the round using circular needles. The hat construction begins with a ribbed cuff worked flat before transitioning to stockinette stitch for the main body. The design incorporates a distinctive folded brim created by knitting the initial ribbed section and then folding it to the right side of the fabric. Crown shaping is accomplished through a series of strategic decreases worked at regular intervals to form a fitted top.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing (K2, P2): The foundation stitch creating the brim, worked in rounds to form an elastic edge
• Stockinette Stitch (St St): Knit every round in the main body section, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Slip, Slip, Knit Decrease (sL2togK): A left-leaning decrease used in crown shaping, created by slipping two stitches together as though to knit two together
• Pass 2 Slipped Stitches Over (p2sso): A centered double decrease that passes two previously slipped stitches over a knit stitch, used throughout the crown shaping sequence

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The hat begins with a cast-on of 64 stitches distributed evenly across three of four double-pointed needles. The ribbed brim section measures 25 centimeters in length before transitioning to stockinette stitch. The main body continues straight until the work measures 30 centimeters from the cast-on edge, at which point crown shaping begins. The crown is shaped through eight decrease rounds spaced at regular intervals, progressively reducing from 56 stitches to 8 stitches, which are then secured and fastened off.

Colorway Options

The pattern offers flexibility in color selection. The one colour version uses a single shade throughout the entire hat. The two colour version uses yarn A for the initial ribbed section and transitions to yarn B for the stockinette body and crown shaping. The photographed example features the one-color version in Onyx 10025, while the two-color option combines Camel 10021 (yarn A) with Almond 10020 (yarn B).

Materials Required

• Yarn: Rowan Alpaca Sparkle (50-gram balls). Quantity varies by colorway selection; the pattern specifies Alpaca Sparkle as the fiber content
• Needles: Set of 4 double-pointed needles in 6mm size (US 10)
• Tension: 13 stitches and 20 rounds measured over 10 centimeters in stockinette stitch using 6mm needles

Finishing Details

After all stitches are bound off and secured, the hat is pressed according to standard finishing instructions. The distinctive design feature involves folding the first 12 centimeters of the ribbed brim to the right side of the fabric to create a visible turned cuff. Additional finishing instructions are referenced on the pattern information page.

Skill Level

This project is rated as Advanced Beginner difficulty. While it requires foundational knitting knowledge including working in the round with double-pointed needles and understanding basic decreases, the structured pattern and repetitive crown shaping make it accessible to knitters progressing beyond absolute beginner level.