Napua Hat Knitting Pattern

Napua Hat in Berroco Ultra Wool Fine

What Is Being Made

The Napua Hat is an intermediate-level knitted beanie designed by Alison Green from Berroco Booklet #403. This finished hat measures approximately 17 inches around when unstretched and stands 9 inches high, making it a classic close-fitting hat suitable for everyday wear.

Yarn and Materials

This hat is crafted using Berroco Ultra Wool Fine, a premium yarn choice that provides excellent stitch definition and durability. The pattern calls for just 1 ball (100 grams) in colorway #5301 Cream, making this an efficient project for yarn stash management. The yarn weight and fiber content of Ultra Wool Fine create a fabric with good elasticity and a refined appearance after blocking.

Needles and Tools Required

• 16-inch circular needles in sizes 1½ (2.50 mm) and 4 (3.50 mm)
• 1 set of double-pointed needles, size 4 (3.50 mm), for crown shaping
• 1 stitch marker for tracking pattern repeats
• Waste yarn for tubular cast-on technique
• Tapestry needle for finishing

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 33 stitches and 44 rounds over 4 inches in the charted pattern on the larger needle after light blocking. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements, and knitters are advised to swatch and block before beginning the main project.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Napua Hat employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques that add visual interest and structural integrity to the finished garment. The pattern is worked in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles, which creates a seamless construction. The hat incorporates charted colorwork or textured patterning that repeats across the crown, requiring knitters to follow either written instructions or a visual chart.

The construction begins with a tubular cast-on method, an advanced casting technique that creates a particularly neat and elastic edge—ideal for hat openings that need to stretch comfortably over the head while maintaining their shape. This cast-on method uses waste yarn as a temporary foundation, which is later removed to reveal a finished edge.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The Napua Hat features a sophisticated 14-stitch repeat pattern that combines multiple knitting techniques across 8 rounds. The stitch pattern incorporates:

• Yarn overs (yo) for creating decorative eyelet details and lace elements
• Decreases including slip-slip-knit (SSK), knit 2 together (k2tog), and centered double decreases (CDD), which shape the fabric and create the openwork design
• Knit and purl stitches worked in combination to create textured ribbing and contrast
• Stockinette stitch sections that provide smooth, classic knit fabric between pattern elements

The pattern alternates between sections of openwork lace created by yarn overs and decreases, and sections of knit-purl ribbing that add elasticity and visual definition. This combination creates a hat with both decorative appeal and practical stretch for comfortable wear.

Crown Shaping

As the hat progresses toward the crown, the pattern transitions to a crown shaping phase that uses strategic decreases to gradually reduce the stitch count from 120 stitches. The crown shaping maintains the pattern integrity while narrowing the hat to a close fit at the top. Double-pointed needles replace the circular needle during this final phase, allowing the knitter to work with the decreasing number of stitches as the crown closes.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this pattern is appropriate for knitters with experience in circular knitting, reading charts or written pattern instructions, and executing decreases and yarn overs. The tubular cast-on and crown shaping add technical elements that require careful attention, but the repetitive 8-round pattern becomes intuitive with practice.