Rowan Bykle Hat Knitting Pattern

Rowan Bykle Hat

What is Being Made

The Bykle Hat is a classic adult-sized knitted hat designed by Arne & Carlos for Rowan. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a finished hat with a circumference of 50 cm (19¾ inches), suitable for average adult head sizes. The hat features a distinctive stranded colorwork design combined with a ribbed cuff and fitted crown shaping.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to create its finished design:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The hat is worked from the lower edge upward, beginning with a cast-on edge and progressing toward the crown.
• Worked in the Round: The entire hat is constructed using circular needles, creating seamless rounds throughout the project. A stitch marker is placed to denote the beginning and end of each round.
• Stranded Colorwork (Fair Isle): The pattern incorporates the fair isle technique, a traditional method of working with two colors in a single round. The colorwork section uses a 12-stitch pattern repeat worked 10 times around each round, creating a cohesive all-over design across the hat body.
• Decreasing for Crown Shaping: The top of the hat is shaped through strategic decreases using slip stitch decreases (sl 1, K1, psso) and knit two together (K2tog) techniques, reducing stitches from 120 down to 10 stitches across multiple rounds until the crown is closed.
• Ribbed Cuff: The lower edge features a knit 2, purl 2 ribbed section that is folded at the lower edge to the right side for a turn-back cuff finish.

Stitches Used

The Bykle Hat pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches executed in both plain and patterned sections:

• Knit Stitch (K): Forms the primary fabric structure, particularly in the stockinette stitch sections of the hat body and the stranded colorwork design.
• Purl Stitch (P): Used in the ribbed cuff section in alternation with knit stitches to create the textured ribbing.
• Slip Stitch Decrease (sl 1, K1, psso): A left-leaning decrease used throughout the crown shaping rounds to reduce stitch count while maintaining a neat appearance.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease worked in conjunction with slip stitch decreases to shape the crown symmetrically.
• Make One (M1): An increase stitch used once during the transition from the ribbed cuff to the patterned body to bring the stitch count from 112 to 120 stitches.

Materials and Gauge

The Bykle Hat is designed to be worked with Rowan Alpaca Soft DK yarn, a lightweight yarn suitable for creating soft, draping knitwear. Two colors are required:

• Color A: Classic Brown 204 (2 x 50gm)
• Color B: Autumn Gold 220 (1 x 50gm)

The pattern requires two circular needles in different sizes. A 3¼mm (US 3) circular needle no more than 40 cm long is used for the ribbed cuff section, while a 4mm (US 6) circular needle of the same maximum length is used for the main body and stranded colorwork sections. The shorter needle length ensures proper tension control when working in the round on a smaller circumference.

Tension is critical for proper fit. The pattern specifies 22 stitches and 30 rounds to 10 cm measured over stockinette stitch, and 24 stitches and 26 rounds to 10 cm measured over the patterned stranded colorwork, both using the 4mm (US 6) circular needle. Achieving correct tension ensures the finished hat circumference reaches the intended 50 cm measurement.

Pattern Structure

The hat construction follows a logical progression. After casting on 112 stitches, the knitter works 14 cm of knit 2, purl 2 ribbing on the smaller needles. The work then transitions to the larger needles with an increase round bringing the stitch count to 120. The main body features 28 rounds