Rowan Kongle Hat Knitting Pattern

Rowan Kongle Hat

What is Being Made

The Rowan Kongle Hat is a classic adult-sized knitted hat designed by ARNE & CARLOS. This one-size hat is crafted to fit an average adult head with a finished circumference of 50 cm (19¾ inches). The design features a distinctive stranded colorwork pattern worked in the round, creating a traditional Fair Isle aesthetic with a comfortable ribbed turnback cuff.

Techniques Used

This hat is constructed using several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: The hat is worked from the cast-on edge upward, beginning with a ribbed cuff that is later folded to the right side to create a neat turnback.
• Worked in the round: Using circular needles, the entire hat is knitted in continuous rounds rather than flat pieces, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a seamless, professional finish.
• Stranded colorwork (Fair Isle): The main body features a 12-stitch pattern repeat that is worked using the Fair Isle technique, carrying unused yarn colors across the inside of the work to create the intricate two-color design.
• Decreasing for shaping: The crown is shaped using slip-stitch decreases (sl 1, K1, psso) and knit-two-together decreases (K2tog) worked in structured rounds to create a fitted top.

Stitches Used

The Rowan Kongle Hat employs a focused selection of fundamental knitting stitches:

• Knit stitch (K): Forms the stockinette stitch base of the patterned sections and the solid-color upper crown.
• Purl stitch (P): Used exclusively in the ribbed cuff (P2, K2 rib pattern) to create vertical texture and stretch.
• Slip-stitch decrease (sl 1, K1, psso): A left-leaning decrease used throughout the crown shaping rounds to gradually reduce stitches.
• Knit-two-together decrease (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease paired with slip-stitch decreases to create balanced, symmetrical decreases around the hat crown.
• Make one increase (M1): Used in a single transition round to increase from 112 stitches to 120 stitches, positioning the hat for the 12-stitch pattern repeat to work evenly around.

Materials

The Rowan Kongle Hat is worked in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK, a lightweight double-knitting weight yarn that provides warmth and drape. The colorway combines two distinct shades: Marine Blue (color 212) used for 1 x 50gm ball, and Deep Rose (color 206) used for 2 x 50gm balls, allowing for the two-color Fair Isle pattern and solid upper crown.

The hat is knitted on 3¼mm (US 3) circular needles no longer than 40 cm for the ribbed cuff, then transitions to 4mm (US 6) circular needles of the same length for the patterned and crown sections. The shorter circular needle length ensures proper tension and control when working in the round on a smaller circumference.

Finished Specifications

The completed hat measures 50 cm (19¾ inches) in circumference. Tension is measured at 22 stitches and 30 rounds to 10 cm over stockinette stitch and 24 stitches and 26 rounds to 10 cm over patterned stockinette stitch, both achieved using the 4mm (US 6) circular needle. These tension measurements are essential for achieving the correct finished size.