Madelinetosh Essential Hat Knitting Pattern

Madelinetosh Essential Hat

What is Being Made

The Madelinetosh Essential Hat is a fingering weight knit hat pattern designed by Jenn Nevitt for Madelinetosh Yarn. This downloadable PDF includes instructions for three sizes: baby, child, and adult. Each hat features a classic fitted silhouette with a ribbed brim and a tapered crown, making it a versatile, essential wardrobe piece suitable for various ages.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several fundamental knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The hat is knit from the brim upward, beginning with a cast-on edge and progressing toward the crown
• Worked in the round: Using circular needles and double-pointed needles (DPNs), the hat is constructed continuously in circular rows, eliminating the need for seaming
• Stripes: The hat features a multi-color stripe pattern created by carrying yarn and switching between contrast colors at regular intervals
• Decreases: Strategic decreasing rounds shape the crown, gradually reducing stitches to close the top of the hat

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates essential knitting stitches:

• Knit stitch (k): The primary stitch used throughout the stockinette stitch body
• Purl stitch (p): Combined with knit stitches in the ribbed brim
• K2p2 rib: A 2x2 ribbed texture worked at the brim for stretch and definition
• Stockinette stitch: The main fabric texture, created by knitting all rounds
• K2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease used throughout the crown shaping to taper the hat

Materials and Gauge

Yarn: The pattern calls for Madelinetosh Unicorn Tails fingering weight yarn in four colors: Brim, CC1 (contrast color 1), CC2 (contrast color 2), and CC3 (crown). Alternative yarn options include Tosh Sock or Tosh Merino Light, both compatible fingering weight options. Yardage requirements vary by size: baby and child sizes each use 1 skein each of Brim, CC1, and CC2, plus 2 skeins of CC3.

Needles: The pattern requires US 2 (2.75mm) circular needles (16 inches) for the ribbed brim, and US 3 circular needles for the body and stripe sections. Double-pointed needles (DPNs) in US 3 are used when stitches no longer fit comfortably on the circular needle during crown decreasing. Alternatively, longer circular needles can be used with the magic loop technique throughout.

Gauge: The pattern is worked at a gauge of 7 stitches equals 1 inch in stockinette stitch. Achieving accurate gauge is essential for proper fit across all three sizes.

Pattern Overview by Size

Baby Hat: Cast on 100 stitches using the brim color and smaller needles. Work k2p2 rib for 1 inch, then switch to larger needles and begin the stripe pattern with contrast colors, working 3-round repeats. After stripe sections, work the crown color in stockinette stitch until the hat measures 5 inches from the cast-on edge, then begin crown decreases.

Child Hat: Cast on 112 stitches and work k2p2 rib for 1.5 inches. The stripe pattern for the child size features 4-round repeats of CC1 alternating with 2-round repeats of CC2, creating a different visual rhythm than the baby size. Crown shaping follows the same decreasing methodology.

Finishing: After all decreases are complete, use a tapestry needle to draw the remaining yarn tail through the final stitches and close the crown opening. Weave in all ends and block as desired to even out stitches and set the fabric.