Ella Rae Macie Hat, Scarf, & Fingerless Mitts Knitting

Ella Rae Macie Hat, Scarf, & Fingerless Mitts

Overview

The Ella Rae Macie collection is a three-piece knitted accessory set designed by Ursula McGrath. This intermediate-level project features coordinating hat, scarf, and fingerless mitts worked in a luxurious yarn blend. The set showcases classic cable knit techniques and is worked primarily flat with seaming, making it an excellent project for knitters looking to develop their cable-working skills.

What Is Being Made

• Hat: A finished width of 19 inches (48 centimeters) with a depth of 10 inches (25 centimeters)
• Scarf: A long accessory measuring 66 inches (167 centimeters) in length with a width of 10 inches (25 centimeters)
• Fingerless Mitts: A pair of mitts sized to fit an average adult hand

Techniques and Construction Methods

This pattern employs bottom-up construction, meaning pieces are cast on at the lower edge and worked upward to the finished length. All pieces are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which allows for easier cable work and shaping. The finished pieces are then seamed together to create the final garments. This approach provides excellent stitch definition and makes it simple to adjust length as needed during knitting.

Cable work is the signature technique throughout the set. The pattern features C8B (cable 8 back) and related cable crosses, where stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held while working subsequent stitches, then worked in a different order to create the characteristic twisted rope effect. Cable panels are repeated across the width of each piece, creating visual interest and texture.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The foundation of these pieces is stockinette stitch, which provides a smooth background that allows the cable panels to stand out prominently. Garter stitch (knit every row) is used for decorative borders and edge treatments, providing a neat frame for the cable work. Reverse stockinette stitch (purl side facing) is incorporated between cable panels to enhance their three-dimensional appearance and create visual separation.

The cable panels are worked using a repeating 12-row pattern that includes knit, purl, and cable cross stitches. This structured approach makes the pattern easy to follow and repeat consistently across multiple pieces. The mitts feature a simpler cable repeat that can be adjusted to the desired length.

Materials and Yarn

The entire three-piece set requires 5 x 100-gram balls of Ella Rae Cashmereno Aran yarn in shade 35 Bark. This yarn is an aran-weight fiber, which is a medium-heavy weight ideal for creating fabric with good drape and stitch definition. The Cashmereno blend provides softness and warmth suitable for close-to-skin accessories.

The hat is further embellished with 1 x KFI Collection Furreal Pom in shade 04 Canadian Lynx, a decorative pompom that adds a luxurious finishing touch to the crown.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires three different needle sizes to achieve proper gauge and construction:

• US 6/4mm needles for ribbing or initial cast-on sections
• US 8/5mm needles for the main body of the hat and mitts
• US 9/5.5mm needles for the scarf

A cable needle is essential for executing the cable crosses throughout the pattern. The varied needle sizes allow for gauge control and ensure proper fabric density in different sections of the project.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 18 stitches and 22 rows over a 4-inch (10-centimeter) square in stockinette stitch using US 9/5.5mm needles. Achieving this gauge is critical for the finished pieces to match the specified measurements. The fingerless mitts are designed to fit an average adult hand size, while the hat and scarf are worked to fixed dimensions rather than multiple size options.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this pattern is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle cable