Pentucket Hat & Cowl Knitting Pattern

Pentucket Hat & Cowl in Juniper Moon Herriot

What is Being Made

The Pentucket Hat & Cowl set features two coordinating pieces from the Haverhill Collection, designed by Alison Green. The hat is available in two sizes (Medium and Large), while the cowl is one-size-fits-all. These pieces can be made together as a matching set or individually, with each project requiring 1 hank of yarn in two complementary colors. The finished hat band measures 17½" to 19¾" depending on size, and the cowl features a 21" circumference with 8" height.

Techniques Used

This pattern introduces knitters to the combination of stranded colorwork and cable knitting worked simultaneously—a technique that may seem complex but is designed to be accessible for those new to colorwork. The pattern employs in-the-round knitting using circular needles and double-point needles, which creates seamless, tubular fabric. The colorwork is charted, allowing knitters to follow visual instructions for color changes and pattern placement. Cable techniques are integrated throughout, with stitches held on a cable needle to create twisted, dimensional textures.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (worked in the round) – created by alternating purl and knit rounds to produce a textured, bumpy fabric
• Cable stitches – created by slipping stitches to a cable needle and holding them to the front or back while working subsequent stitches, then working the held stitches to create twisted rope-like patterns
• Stranded colorwork – carrying two yarn colors across rows and switching between them to create the pattern
• Decreases – including k2tog (knit two together), ssk (slip, slip, knit), and cdd (centered double decrease) used in shaping, particularly in the hat crown
• Increases – kfb (knit into front and back of stitch) for adding stitches where needed

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Notions

Yarn: The pattern calls for Juniper Moon Farm Herriot, a yarn available in two colorways for this project: #1000 Oatmeal (Color A) and #1002 Pansy (Color B). Two hanks of each color are needed to complete both the hat and cowl together, though a single hank of each color is sufficient if making only one piece.

Needles: The project requires US 4 (3.5 mm) and US 6 (4 mm) circular needles, both 16 inches long. The smaller needles are used for the garter stitch sections and establish gauge, while the larger needles accommodate the cable and colorwork pattern sections. Double-point needles in US 6 (4 mm) are necessary for the hat crown shaping when the stitch count becomes too small for circular needles.

Notions: Essential accessories include a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and round beginnings, and a cable needle for holding stitches during cable crossings.

Gauge and Pattern Details

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this project. Using the smaller needles, knitters should achieve 20 stitches and 37 rows over 4 inches in Garter Stitch. The cable and colorwork pattern sections worked on the larger needles produce a different gauge of 33.5 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches. The pattern includes a main chart for the body of both pieces and a separate decrease chart for shaping the hat crown, with clear symbols indicating cable crossings, color changes, and decrease placements.