Malabrigo Calvert Hat Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Calvert Bobbled Hat

What is Being Made

The Malabrigo Calvert is an intermediate-level knitted hat featuring a distinctive bobbled texture design. This seamless, worked-in-the-round hat combines lace elements with dimensional bobble stitches to create visual interest and depth. The finished hat measures 18 inches (45.5 cm) in brim circumference with a total length of 9 inches (23 cm), making it a versatile style suitable for various head sizes and seasons.

Techniques Used

This design employs several advanced knitting techniques that elevate it beyond beginner level:

• Seamless construction: The hat is worked entirely in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a polished, professional finish.
• Lace knitting: Openwork lace patterns are incorporated throughout the main body of the hat, creating an elegant, breathable fabric with decorative motifs.
• Bobble stitches: Dimensional bobbles are strategically placed within the design, adding texture and visual dimension to the piece.
• Gauge-dependent shaping: The pattern relies on accurate gauge to ensure proper fit and drape of the finished garment.
• Decreasing techniques: Multiple decrease methods are used to shape the crown, including purl together decreases and knit two together through the back loop.

Stitches Used

The Calvert hat utilizes a variety of fundamental and decorative stitches:

• Knit and purl stitches: Form the foundation of the ribbed brim and main fabric.
• Make Bobble (MB): A complex stitch that creates dimensional bobbles by knitting multiple times into a single stitch, then decreasing back down. This technique involves knitting into the front, back, front, back, and front of the next stitch, followed by a series of slip stitches and decreases to form the bobble shape.
• Five-stitch cluster: A decorative element created by knitting two stitches, purling one, knitting two more, then slipping the five worked stitches to a cable needle, wrapping yarn counterclockwise around the stitches three times, and slipping back to the right-hand needle.
• Make One (M1) increases: Used to increase stitch count between the ribbed brim and the main lace section.
• Purl two together (p2tog) and knit two together (k2tog) decreases: Essential for shaping the crown and closing the top of the hat.
• Knit two together through the back loop (k2tog tbl): Creates a left-leaning decrease used in the crown shaping.

Materials

The Malabrigo Calvert is designed to showcase the qualities of premium yarn:

• Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino in colorway #136 Sabiduria. This yarn blend combines silk and merino wool, offering both softness and durability. Two hanks are required, with each hank weighing 1¾ ounces (50 grams) and providing approximately 150 yards (137 meters) of yardage.
• Needles: The pattern calls for one size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needle and one size 7 (4.5 mm) circular needle, each measuring 16 inches (40 cm) in length. Additionally, one complete set of five size 7 (4.5 mm) double-pointed needles is required for working the crown decreases when stitches no longer fit comfortably on the circular needle.
• Notions: Stitch markers to denote the beginning of rounds and a cable needle for working the five-stitch cluster stitches.

Gauge and Fit

Achieving the correct gauge is critical for this pattern. The specified gauge is 20 stitches and 14 rounds over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when measured over stockinette stitch using size 7 (4.5 mm) needles. The pattern begins with a 2½-inch (6.5 cm) ribbed brim worked in a knit two, purl two rib pattern, which provides stretch and helps the hat stay securely in place.

Pattern Structure

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