String Elyse Hat Cardigan Knitting Pattern

String Elyse Hat

What is Being Made

The Elyse Hat is a luxurious knitted beanie designed by Lisa Hoffman. This one-size hat features a finished circumference of 18 inches (46 cm) and a height of 6 inches (23 cm), making it a classic, close-fitting winter accessory. The design combines comfort with sophisticated colorwork, suitable for both everyday wear and special occasions.

Techniques Used

This hat is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create its distinctive appearance and structure:

• Worked in the Round: The entire hat is knitted circularly using a 16-inch circular needle, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a seamless construction. This technique ensures a smooth, continuous fabric without side seams.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The hat is worked from the cast-on edge upward, beginning with the ribbed brim and progressing through the body to the crown decreases.
• Stripes: A two-color stripe pattern alternates between anthracite and garnet, with each color worked in a knit-purl sequence to create visual texture and depth in the striped sections.
• Seamless Design: The circular knitting method combined with strategic decreases at the crown creates a fully seamless garment with no visible seams.

Stitches Used

The Elyse Hat employs a limited but effective stitch repertoire:

• 2x2 Rib: Used for the 6-inch brim, this stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in a two-by-two pattern to create an elastic, form-fitting edge that helps the hat stay in place.
• Garter Stitch in Rounds: The primary stitch for the hat body, created by alternating knit rounds with purl rounds. This produces a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges.
• Knit 2 Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used in the crown shaping to gradually reduce stitches.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (s2kp): A centered double decrease that creates a more refined crown shaping, used in the first decrease round.

Materials

The Elyse Hat is crafted from premium materials that ensure softness and warmth:

• Yarn: STRING SHALIMAR, a luxury blend of 93% cashmere and 7% lambswool. Two colors are used: color 727008 anthracite (A) and color 727006 garnet (B). Each color requires one ball, with each ball weighing 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and providing 71 yards (65 meters) of yardage.
• Needles: Size 6 (4 mm) circular needle, 16 inches (20 cm) in length, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge.
• Notions: A stitch marker to denote the beginning of rounds, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends and closing the crown. An optional pom pom can be added to the top for decorative flair.

Gauge and Finishing Details

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 18 stitches and 38 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in Garter stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements. The hat is completed by threading the yarn tail through remaining stitches at the crown and pulling tight to close. All ends are woven in for a polished finish. An optional technique allows the ribbed brim to be folded to the wrong side and seamed for a different aesthetic.