Juniper Moon Farm Hat Knitting Pattern

Corey Hat by Melissa Leapman

What is Being Made

The Corey hat is a classic knitted cap designed by Melissa Leapman, part of the Aspen Collection. This is a seamless, bottom-up knit hat available in two sizes: Small with a finished circumference of 20"/51cm and height of 10"/25.5cm, and Large with a finished circumference of 23¼"/59cm and height of 10½"/26.5cm. The hat features a traditional silhouette with a fitted ribbed cuff and tapered crown.

Techniques Used

The Corey hat is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create both structure and visual interest:

• Worked in the Round: The entire hat is knitted circularly using circular needles and double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a seamless, professional finish.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The hat begins at the ribbed cuff and progresses upward toward the crown, allowing for easy customization of length and a natural fit.
• Stranded Colorwork: The hat features a Fair Isle pattern worked in stranded knitting technique, where multiple colors are carried across the round to create the intricate design. This traditional technique produces a dense, insulated fabric ideal for winter wear.
• Decreases for Shaping: The crown is shaped using strategic decreases (ssk and k2tog) worked in rounds to create a smooth, tapered top that closes neatly.

Stitches Used

The Corey hat employs fundamental knitting stitches combined in specific sequences:

• Ribbed Knit: A 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2) forms the cuff, providing elasticity and a finished edge that hugs the head comfortably.
• Stockinette Stitch: The main body of the hat is worked in stockinette stitch (knit all rounds), which creates a smooth, flat fabric that serves as the perfect canvas for the Fair Isle colorwork.
• Fair Isle Pattern: A 37-round repeating Fair Isle pattern with a multiple of 10 stitches creates the decorative colorwork. This pattern is repeated 6 times for the Small size and 7 times for the Large size, building the full height of the hat.
• Decrease Stitches: Slip, slip, knit (ssk) and knit 2 together (k2tog) decreases are used symmetrically to shape the crown, reducing stitches from 60 (70) down to 12 (14) and finally to 6 (7) stitches.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Corey hat is designed to be knitted with Juniper Moon Farm LA PAMPA yarn, a premium fiber choice that takes the Fair Isle colorwork beautifully. The pattern calls for four coordinated colors:

• Color A (110 Acorn): 1 x 100g skein
• Color B (113 Eggplant): 1 x 100g skein
• Color C (115 Ocean): 1 x 100g skein
• Color D (116 Steel): 1 x 100g skein

Needle Requirements: The pattern requires US 9 (5.5mm) circular needles in 16"/40cm length for the ribbed cuff, and US 10½ (6.5mm) circular needles in 16"/40cm length for the main body and pattern work. A set of five US 10½ (6.5mm) double-pointed needles is also needed for working the final decrease rounds when stitches become too few for circular needles. A stitch marker is required to mark the beginning of each round.

Gauge: The pattern specifies a gauge of 15 stitches and 18 rounds over 4"/10cm in 2-color stranded stockinette stitch using the larger needles, measured after blocking. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure proper fit and finished measurements.

Pattern Structure and Construction Details

The Corey hat follows a logical progression from cuff to crown. After casting on 60 (68) stitches and joining in the round, approximately 1½"/4cm of 2x2 ribbing establishes a snug, elastic edge. The knitter then transitions to the larger needles and works 1 to 3