Hat Knitting Pattern

Hat in Noro Bachi

What is Being Made

This is a beginner-level knitted hat with a finished width of 20 inches (50cm). The design features a classic ribbed cuff combined with a decorative stitch pattern worked in the round, making it an accessible project for knitters new to circular needle techniques and colorwork or textured stitching.

Techniques Used

The hat is constructed using circular needle knitting, which allows the piece to be worked continuously in rounds rather than flat rows. This eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless, professional finish. The pattern incorporates several fundamental knitting techniques:

• Yarn overs (abbreviated as yon or yfwd) to create decorative eyelet or lace elements within the stitch pattern
• Decreases including k2tog (knit two stitches together) and k3tog (knit three stitches together) to shape the crown and reduce stitch count as needed
• Slip stitches used in combination with decreases (psso—pass slip stitch over) to create clean, angled decreases
• Ribbing at the cuff using alternating knit and purl stitches to create elasticity and a fitted edge
• Even working (work straight) across sections to maintain consistent stitch pattern without shaping

Stitches Used

The hat employs a combination of basic and intermediate stitches:

• Knit stitch (K) – the fundamental stitch forming the base of the fabric
• Purl stitch (P) – used to create ribbed texture at the cuff and as part of the main pattern repeat
• Yarn over (yon/yfwd) – creates openwork details and increases stitch count decoratively
• Knit two together (k2tog) – a right-leaning decrease
• Knit three together (k3tog) – a more pronounced decrease for shaping
• Slip stitch (sl 1) – used in combination with other decreases for refined shaping
• Pass slip stitch over (psso) – completes slip-stitch decreases

Materials

The hat requires minimal materials, making it an economical project:

• Yarn: 1 ball of Noro Bachi (200g) in colorway #01. Noro Bachi is a premium yarn known for its unique color variations and texture
• Needles: One pair of size US 11 (7mm) circular needles for working in the round

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

The recommended gauge is 14 stitches and 14½ rows to 4 inches (10cm) measured over the stitch pattern using size US 11 (7mm) needles. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished hat will fit properly at the specified 20-inch (50cm) width. The pattern begins with a cast-on of 60 stitches, which is increased to 72 stitches by the end of the ribbed cuff section through even increases distributed across one round.

Pattern Structure

The hat is worked from the bottom up in continuous rounds. The cuff begins with 1x1 ribbing (alternating knit and purl stitches) to create a stretchy, fitted edge. After the ribbed section, the main stitch pattern is introduced, featuring a repeating 8-stitch motif worked 6 times across each round. The pattern combines knit and purl stitches with yarn overs and decreases to create visual interest and texture. The use of decreases in later rounds (particularly k3tog and slip-stitch decreases) indicates that the crown shaping occurs within the pattern itself, gradually reducing the stitch count to close the top of the hat.