Rowan Bassett Hat Knitting Pattern

Rowan Bassett Hat by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Rowan Bassett Hat is an advanced-level knitted hat designed by Martin Storey. This project creates a fitted, structured hat with a decorative patterned crown section and a shaped crown that tapers to a gathered top. The finished hat measures approximately 23 cm in height and is worked in the round using double-pointed needles.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques:

• Fairisle Technique: A colorwork method used to create the patterned section of the hat. The Fairisle technique involves carrying unused yarn (stranded) across the back of the work while knitting with the active color, allowing for intricate multi-color patterns without cutting the yarn.
• In-the-Round Knitting: The entire hat is worked circularly using double-pointed needles, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates seamless, tubular fabric.
• Decreasing for Crown Shaping: The top of the hat is shaped using strategic decreases (K2tog) worked at regular intervals across multiple rounds to gradually reduce the stitch count and create a tapered crown.
• Tension Management: Working with multiple colors while maintaining consistent tension is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements and fit.

Stitches Used

• Knit Stitch (K): The primary stitch used throughout the hat, worked in every round for both the stockinette stitch sections and the Fairisle patterned sections.
• Purl Stitch (P): Used in the first round only to create the textured edge detail in the Fairisle pattern.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used extensively during the crown shaping phase to reduce stitches and form the tapered top.
• Stockinette Stitch (st st): The base fabric throughout the hat, created by knitting every round when working in the round.

Pattern Structure and Colorwork

The hat begins with a 14-stitch pattern repeat that is repeated 9 times around the circumference for a cast-on of 126 stitches. The Fairisle chart is worked over 14 rounds and repeated 3 times consecutively, totaling 42 rounds of patterned work. After the patterned section is complete, the hat continues in plain stockinette stitch using a single yarn color before the crown shaping begins.

Two colorway options are provided. The primary colorway uses Rowan Moordale yarn in Pepper, Blue Moor, and Ash. An alternative colorway substitutes Pea and French Navy for Blue Moor and Ash respectively.

Crown Shaping

The crown is shaped through a series of 12 decrease rounds, beginning after the main body of the hat is complete. Each decrease round spaces K2tog decreases evenly around the hat, reducing the stitch count progressively from 108 stitches down to 12 stitches. The final 12 stitches are gathered by threading yarn through the remaining loops and pulled tight to close the crown securely.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The pattern calls for Rowan Moordale yarn in 100-gram balls. The primary colorway requires one ball each of Pepper (0 02), Blue Moor (008), and Ash (010). The alternative colorway substitutes one ball each of Pepper (0 02), Pea (021), and French Navy (016). Rowan Moordale is a worsted-weight yarn suitable for the stitch definition required in Fairisle colorwork.

Needles: The pattern uses two sets of double-pointed needles. A set of four 3¼mm (US size 3) needles is used for the cast-on and initial rounds to establish the pattern edge. A set of four 4mm (US size 6) needles is used for the main body and crown shaping. Double-pointed needles allow for seamless in-the-round knitting and are distributed with three needles holding stitches while the fourth needle is used for working.

Tension and Finished Measurements

Achieving the correct tension is critical for proper fit. The pattern specifies 24 stitches and 25 rounds to 10 centimeters measured over patterned stockinette stitch using 4mm needles, and 23 stitches and 30 rounds to 10 cent