Juniper Moon Farm Hat Knitting Pattern

Juniper Moon Farm Luca Hat by Melissa Leapman

What is Being Made

The Luca hat is a seamless, round knit hat from the Aspen Collection, designed by Melissa Leapman. This pattern offers two finished sizes: Small with a circumference of 19¼"/49cm and height of 9"/23cm, and Large with a circumference of 22½"/57cm and height of 9½"/24cm. The hat features a classic construction with a ribbed cuff, patterned body, and shaped crown that tapers to a secure closure.

Techniques Used

The Luca hat employs several key knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest:

• Bottom-up construction: The hat is worked from the bottom cuff upward to the crown, allowing for easy length adjustments and a natural finishing point.
• Seamless, worked in the round: Using circular needles and double-pointed needles, the entire hat is knit in continuous rounds, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, professional finish.
• Cable work: The body features an established cable pattern that requires the use of cable needles to create dimensional, twisted stitches.
• Crown shaping: Strategic decreases are worked to gradually reduce stitches and shape the top of the hat, with decreases placed every 12 stitches around for even tapering.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches combined into a cohesive cable design:

• Knit and purl stitches: The foundation of the pattern, creating texture through the 2x2 ribbing at the cuff and the cable pattern body.
• 2x2 Ribbing: Used for the initial 2 to 2½ inches of the cuff, this elastic stitch helps the hat stay in place on the head.
• Cable Pattern (2/2/2 RC): A six-stitch cable motif worked across the body. The abbreviation 2/2/2 RC indicates slipping 2 stitches to a cable needle and holding in back, slipping 2 stitches to another cable needle and holding in front, then knitting 2 stitches from the left-hand needle, 2 stitches from the front cable needle, and 2 stitches from the back cable needle. This creates a distinctive twisted effect.
• Decreases: The crown shaping uses ssk (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit 2 together) decreases to evenly reduce the stitch count.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Luca hat is designed to be worked with specific materials to achieve the correct gauge and finished dimensions:

• Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm BEATRIX in color 14 Lilac. One 50-gram skein is required for either size.
• Needles: Two sizes of US circular needles, 16 inches long, are used. The smaller needle (US 9 / 5.5mm) is used for the ribbed cuff, while the larger needle (US 10½ / 6.5mm) is used for the body and cable pattern. Additionally, a set of five US 10½ (6.5mm) double-pointed needles is needed for the crown shaping when the stitch count becomes too small for the circular needle.
• Notions: Two cable needles are required to work the cable pattern. Stitch markers, including one in a unique color to mark the beginning of each round, help track pattern repeats and decrease placement.

Gauge and Construction Details

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit. The pattern specifies a gauge of 15 stitches and 21 rounds over 4 inches (10cm) when working the cable pattern on the larger needles, after blocking. The ribbed cuff is worked over 2 to 2½ inches in 2x2 ribbing before transitioning to the larger needles for the cable pattern body. The body section consists of 29 rounds of the established cable pattern, with stitch markers placed every 12 stitches to guide crown decreases. The crown is shaped through a series of decrease rounds that reduce the stitch count from 60 or 70 stitches down to 12 or 14 stitches, which are then secured by threading the yarn tail through the remaining stitches and pulling tightly.