Rowan Haida Hat Knitting Pattern

Rowan Haida Hat by Lisa Richardson

What is Being Made

The Rowan Haida Hat is a knitted cap designed in one size, created using the Island Blend Fine yarn from Rowan in a sophisticated colorwork design. This hat combines stranded knitting techniques with solid-color sections to produce a finished piece measuring approximately 19 cm in body length before the crown shaping begins.

Techniques Used

This hat is constructed using several key knitting techniques:

• Stranded Colorwork: The pattern incorporates a 38-row stranded chart worked across the main body, allowing multiple yarn colors to be carried and floated across the fabric to create the design
• Bottom-Up Construction: The hat is worked from the cast-on edge upward toward the crown, beginning with ribbed edging and progressing through stockinette stitch sections
• Worked Flat: The pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, requiring seaming during finishing
• Seamed Assembly: After knitting, the hat pieces are joined together using seaming techniques as part of the making-up process
• Crown Shaping: The top of the hat is shaped through strategic decreasing rows using knit two together (K2tog) and purl two together (P2tog) decreases, worked at regular intervals to form a fitted crown

Stitches Used

The Rowan Haida Hat employs fundamental knitting stitches to create its structure and texture:

• Ribbing: A K2, P2 ribbed pattern forms the brim edge, providing elasticity and a neat finished border. The ribbing is worked for 6 rows total with one stitch increased at the end of the final ribbing row
• Stockinette Stitch: Plain stockinette stitch (alternating knit and purl rows) forms the main body of the hat, both in solid color sections and as the foundation for the stranded colorwork pattern
• Decreases: K2tog (knit two together) and P2tog (purl two together) decreases are used extensively during crown shaping to gradually reduce stitch counts from 109 stitches down to 10 stitches, creating the tapered crown

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Rowan Haida Hat uses Island Blend Fine yarn, a premium fiber choice from the Rowan brand. The pattern requires five coordinating colors, each in 1 x 50 gram balls:

• Yarn A: Wedgewood 103 (primary color)
• Yarn B: Butterscotch 108
• Yarn C: Jellyfish 107
• Yarn D: Pompous 106
• Yarn E: Parakeet 104

Needles: The pattern requires two pairs of needles in different sizes to accommodate gauge changes:

• 1 pair 2¾mm needles (UK size 12 / US size 2) for the ribbed brim
• 1 pair 3¼mm needles (UK size 10 / US size 3) for the main body and stranded colorwork sections

Gauge and Tension

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this hat to fit correctly. The pattern specifies 26 stitches and 34 rows to 10 centimeters measured over plain stockinette stitch using 3¼mm needles, and 29 stitches and 32 rows to 10 centimeters measured over the patterned stranded colorwork sections, also using 3¼mm needles. The slightly tighter gauge in the colorwork sections accounts for the density created by carrying multiple yarn colors.

Pattern Structure and Construction Details

The hat begins with a cast-on of 130 stitches using the smaller 2¾mm needles and yarn A. After establishing the K2, P2 ribbed cuff, the knitter increases one stitch to reach 131 stitches and switches to the larger 3¼mm needles. The main body is then worked in stockinette stitch for two rows before beginning the 38-row stranded colorwork chart. Once the chart is complete, all contrast colors are broken off and the hat continues in stockinette stitch using only yarn