Crabapple Striped Hat Knitting Pattern

Crabapple Striped Hat in Cascade Yarns Cascade 220

What is Being Made

This is a knitted adult hat in a medium-large size featuring a classic striped colorway. The design combines a Crabapple main color with a Gris contrast color, creating a visually appealing striped pattern throughout the crown and body of the hat. The hat is constructed in the round using circular knitting needles, making it a seamless garment ideal for everyday wear.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Crabapple Striped Hat employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques. The hat begins with a Long Tail cast-on method, which creates a professional and elastic edge suitable for ribbed cuffs. The construction uses circular knitting in the round, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless finished garment. The pattern incorporates color stranding with two yarn colors worked simultaneously, with yarn being carried up the inside of the work rather than cut between color changes. Increases are worked using the Make One (M1) technique to shape the hat body after the ribbed cuff. The crown shaping involves decreases using the Knit 2 Together (K2tog) stitch to taper the top of the hat. The pattern also requires switching from circular needles to double-pointed needles (DPNs) when stitches become too stretched to work comfortably on the circular needle during crown decreases.

Stitches Used

• 2x2 Ribbing Pattern: Alternating knit and purl stitches (K2, P2) worked in the round to create an elastic cuff that measures 2 inches from the cast-on edge
• Slipped Stitch Pattern: A textured stitch pattern created by slipping one stitch purlwise followed by knitting one stitch, repeated across the round. This stitch is worked in both colors throughout the hat body and crown, creating the distinctive striped appearance
• Knit Stitch (K): The fundamental stitch used for smooth stockinette sections between patterned rounds
• Purl Stitch (P): Used only in the ribbing pattern to create texture and elasticity
• Make One (M1): An increase stitch used strategically in Round 2 of the hat body to expand from 88 stitches to 96 stitches
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog): A decrease stitch used during crown shaping to taper the hat to its finished point
• Slip Stitch (Sl st): Stitches slipped purlwise to create the slipped stitch pattern texture

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This hat is designed to be knitted with Cascade Yarns Cascade 220, a premium yarn made from 100% Peruvian Highland wool. Each skein weighs 100 grams (3.5 ounces) and yields 220 yards (200 meters) of yardage. The pattern requires two skeins total: one skein in color #9681 (Crabapple) for the main color and one skein in color #9473 (Gris) for the contrast color. The yarn is worked at a gauge of 22 stitches by 24 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when measured in the round in unblocked stockinette stitch.

Needles and Notions

The pattern calls for US 7 (4.5mm) circular knitting needles in a 16-inch length for the main body and ribbing, with matching double-pointed needles (DPNs) for working the crown decreases when the stitch count becomes too small for the circular needle. Additional notions include 8 stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends upon completion.

Skill Level and Pattern Notes

Designed by Sheila Joynes, this pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques. The pattern provides clear abbreviations and stitch directions, including detailed instructions for the 2x2 ribbing pattern and the slipped stitch pattern that creates the hat's distinctive striped effect. The pattern notes that yarn does not need to be cut between color changes; instead, the unused color is carried up the inside of the work by bringing the new color underneath the old color when transitioning