Malabrigo Riftstone Hat Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Riftstone Slouchy Mesh Beret

What is Being Made

The Malabrigo Riftstone is a slouchy mesh beret designed by James Emslie. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a relaxed, oversized beret featuring an open, airy mesh construction. The finished hat has a brim circumference of 17"/43cm when unstretched and a total length of 11½"/29cm, making it a comfortable, casual accessory with generous drape and slouch.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs two primary construction techniques that define its character:

• Worked in the Round: The entire beret is knitted circularly using circular needles and double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating seamless, tubular fabric from the cast-on through the crown.
• Lace Technique: The design features an intricate lace mesh pattern created through strategic yarn-overs and decreases. The mesh pattern progressively simplifies as it moves toward the crown, with decreasing numbers of yarn-overs and knit-two-together stitches in each round, creating a sculptural shaping that transitions from an open, airy mid-section to a more densely decreased crown.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Riftstone uses fundamental knitting stitches combined into sophisticated stitch patterns:

• Ribbing: The brim begins with a k2, p2 ribbing worked for 2¾"/7cm, providing elasticity and structure at the hat's edge.
• Mesh Pattern: The primary stitch pattern alternates between rounds of yarn-over and knit-two-together decreases (yo, k2tog) and plain knit rounds. This creates the characteristic open, lacy appearance. The pattern is repeated across the round and evolves through 17 pattern rounds, with each subsequent round reducing the number of yarn-overs and adjusting the spacing of decreases to shape the crown.
• Decreases: Multiple rounds of knit-two-together (k2tog) stitches progressively reduce stitch counts from 168 stitches down to just 6 stitches at the crown, with the final stitches threaded through and pulled tight to secure the top.
• Increases: A single increase round using Make One (M1) increases stitches from 144 to 168 after the ribbing, preparing the fabric for the lace mesh section.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Riftstone pattern calls for Malabrigo Sock yarn by Malabrigo, a superwash merino wool blend. The yarn specifications are 3½oz/100g hanks with approximately 440 yards/402 meters per hank. The pattern requires one hank each in two colorways: #120 Lotus (A) and #855 Aguas (B), allowing for a two-color design where the ribbed brim is worked in one color before transitioning to the contrasting color for the mesh lace section.

The needle requirements include one each of size 2 (2.75mm) and size 5 (3.75mm) circular needles, each 16"/40cm long, plus one set of five size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles for working the final crown decreases when the circumference becomes too small for circular needles. Stitch markers are required to track the beginning of each round.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 40 rounds equal 4"/10cm over the mesh pattern using size 5 (3.75mm) needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential, as the pattern notes to "take time to check your gauge," ensuring the finished beret has the intended measurements and drape. The smaller circular needle is used for the ribbed brim section, while the larger needle accommodates the increased stitch count during the lace mesh portion.