Rowan Scafell Hat Knitting Pattern

Rowan Scafell Hat by Lisa Richardson

What is Being Made

The Scafell Hat is a classic knitted hat designed by Lisa Richardson for Rowan. This is a one-size hat featuring a decorative textured crown with a ribbed cuff and finished with a pompon at the top. The design combines traditional knitting techniques with elegant stitch patterning to create a finished garment suitable for everyday wear.

Techniques Used

This hat is constructed using bottom-up knitting, meaning the ribbed cuff is cast on first and the hat is worked upward toward the crown. The hat is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which means the knitter must seam the back of the hat together during finishing. The crown is shaped through strategic decreasing rows that gradually reduce stitch count to create the hat's crown shaping. A pompon is created separately and attached to the top of the finished hat.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The Scafell Hat employs several key stitching techniques:

• Ribbing: The cuff begins with a knit-purl ribbed pattern (K3, P1 repeat) worked over 5 centimeters, which provides elasticity and helps the hat fit snugly
• Main Pattern Stitch: The body of the hat features a four-row repeating pattern alternating between purl rows and decorative lace-like rows using the special abbreviation M3 (make 3 stitches from 1 stitch) and P3tog (purl 3 together) decreases. This creates a textured, openwork effect
• Crown Shaping: Multiple decrease rows using P3tog and P2tog stitches progressively reduce the stitch count from 162 stitches down to 21 stitches, creating the shaped crown
• M3 Abbreviation: This special stitch creates three stitches from one by knitting, purling, and knitting again into the same stitch, adding texture and visual interest to the pattern

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Scafell Hat is designed to be worked in Rowan Valley Tweed, requiring 2 x 50 gram balls of yarn. The pattern shown in the photograph was worked in the colorway Curlew 119.

Two pairs of needles are required to complete this project:

• 3mm (US 2/3) needles: Used for casting on and working the ribbed cuff section
• 3¾mm (US 5) needles: Used for the main pattern section and crown shaping

The pattern specifies a tension of 31 stitches and 31 rows to 10 centimeters measured over the pattern stitch using the 3¾mm (US 5) needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for the hat to fit properly.

Construction Summary

The hat begins with 161 stitches cast on using 3mm needles, worked in ribbing for 5 centimeters. The stitch count is increased to 162 stitches, then the work is switched to 3¾mm needles for the main patterned section. The decorative four-row pattern is repeated until the hat measures approximately 21 centimeters. The crown is then shaped over multiple rows, with decreases strategically placed to maintain the pattern while reducing stitch count. Once all stitches are decreased to 21, the yarn is threaded through the remaining stitches and pulled tight to close the crown. The back seam is then joined during finishing, and a 6-centimeter diameter pompon is created and attached to the top of the hat.