Rowan Bethel Hat Knitting Pattern

Rowan Bethel Knit Hat by Amy Herzog

What is Being Made

Bethel is a seamless knit hat designed by Amy Herzog for Rowan. This project creates a classic, fitted hat available in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. The hat features a decorative colorwork crown and is finished with a coordinating pom-pom at the top, making it a stylish accessory suitable for various occasions and seasons.

Techniques Used

This hat is constructed using several key knitting techniques:

• Seamless construction: The hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, professional finish.
• Stranded colorwork (Fair Isle): The pattern employs the Fair Isle technique, a traditional method of working with two colors simultaneously to create intricate geometric patterns. The colorwork section features an 8-stitch pattern repeat worked across 12, 13, or 14 repeats depending on size, spanning 14 rounds of stockinette stitch.
• Decreasing shaping: Strategic decreases shape the crown of the hat, with regularly spaced decrease rounds (K2tog) that gradually reduce stitches from the initial cast-on to a small group that is pulled tight and fastened off.
• Pom-pom finishing: A handmade pom-pom approximately 10 cm in diameter is created and attached to the crown of the hat for a playful, finished look.

Stitches Used

The Bethel hat utilizes fundamental knitting stitches worked primarily in stockinette stitch (st st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric. The main stitches employed include:

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch forming the stockinette base.
• Knit two together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used throughout the crown shaping to reduce stitch counts at regular intervals, creating the tapered top of the hat.
• Stranded colorwork: Two colors are carried and worked across rounds to create the Fair Isle pattern on the upper portion of the hat.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn Requirements:

The pattern calls for two yarn types from Rowan's collection:

• Hemp Tweed: Used as yarn A (main color). Quantities are 2 x 50 gm balls across all three sizes.
• Kid Classic: Used as yarn B (contrast color for the Fair Isle section). Quantities are 1 x 1 x 1 x 50 gm ball across all three sizes.

Specific color options are provided: Hemp Tweed in Misty (137) and Denim (133); Kid Classic in Bittersweet (866) and Pumice (888). These yarn combinations create the colorwork contrast while maintaining a cohesive, wearable aesthetic.

Needles:

The pattern requires two sets of double-pointed needles to accommodate the different yarn weights:

• Hemp Tweed section: Set of 4 double-pointed 4½mm (US size 7) needles.
• Kid Classic section: Set of 4 double-pointed 5mm (US size 8) needles.

Double-pointed needles (DPNs) are essential for seamless, in-the-round knitting, allowing stitches to be distributed evenly across three needles while the fourth needle is used for working.

Sizing and Gauge

The pattern is graded in three sizes with corresponding stitch counts. Tension is critical for achieving the correct finished size: 19 stitches and 25 rows/rounds to 10 cm measured over stockinette stitch. Knitters are strongly advised to check their tension before commencing and adjust needle size if necessary to ensure proper fit.

Pattern Construction Overview

The hat begins with a cast-on of 92, 100, or 108 stitches distributed evenly over three double-pointed needles. After establishing the base, the knitter works the Fair Isle colorwork section using both Hemp Tweed and Kid Classic yarns. Following the colorwork rounds, the pattern transitions to a single color and begins the crown shaping with a series of strategic decreases spaced every few rounds. The decreases progressively reduce the stitch count until only 12,