Swans Island Penobscot Hat Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Penobscot Hat Pattern Summary

What Is Being Made

The Swans Island Penobscot Hat is an intermediate-level cabled slouch hat designed as a one-size project. This downloadable knitting pattern produces a finished hat with a 19-inch circumference and 11-inch height, offering a relaxed, slouchy silhouette suitable for various head sizes and styling preferences.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several essential knitting techniques that make it ideal for intermediate crafters looking to expand their skill set:

• Seamless, Worked in the Round: The hat is constructed using the circular knitting method, eliminating the need for seaming. Knitters work continuously in rounds from the bottom up, creating a cohesive, tubular garment without visible seams.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The hat begins at the brim and progresses upward toward the crown, allowing knitters to try on the hat as they work and adjust fit as needed.
• Cable Knitting: The pattern features decorative cable stitches that create textured, twisted columns running vertically through the hat body. These cables are worked using a cable needle to create the signature twisted effect.
• Decreasing for Crown Shaping: Multiple strategic decrease rounds gradually reduce the stitch count, shaping the crown of the hat from the full body down to a closed top.

Stitches Used

The Penobscot Hat incorporates fundamental and intermediate stitches to build its structure and texture:

• Knit (k) and Purl (p): Basic stitches that form the foundation of all knitted fabric.
• Ribbing (k1, p1): A 15-round ribbed cuff at the brim provides elasticity and helps the hat stay securely on the head.
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): Smooth, flat knit fabric used between cable sections and in the crown shaping area.
• Cable Stitches (3/3LC and 3/3RC): Left-leaning cables (3/3LC) and right-leaning cables (3/3RC) created by slipping stitches to a cable needle, knitting across, then knitting the held stitches. These cables are worked in a repeating 12-row chart pattern, repeated three times across the body of the hat.
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A decrease stitch used throughout the crown shaping to gradually reduce stitch count and create the hat's tapered top.

Materials and Gauge

The pattern calls for 1 skein each of two colors from the Swans Island Natural Colors Collection, specifically 100% organic merino wool in fingering weight (100 grams, 525 yards per skein). The colors shown in the pattern are Indigo and Natural.

Gauge: The pattern is worked at 5¼ stitches and 7 rows over 1 inch in the cable pattern. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to achieve the correct finished dimensions and proper fit.

Tools Required: US size 7 (4.5mm) circular needle (16 inches), a set of four double-pointed needles (dpns) for crown shaping when stitches no longer fit comfortably on the circular needle, stitch markers, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends and closing the crown.

Pattern Construction Overview

The Penobscot Hat begins with casting on 100 stitches using two strands of yarn held together, then joining to work in rounds. After one plain knit round, knitters work 15 rounds of k1, p1 ribbing to create an elastic cuff. The body transitions to stockinette stitch, then introduces the cable pattern, which is worked in repeating 12-row chart sections. Once the cable sections are complete, the crown is shaped through a series of decrease rounds that systematically reduce stitches from 75 down to 13, creating the slouchy peak. The final stitches are drawn closed with the yarn tail, and the hat is finished by weaving in ends and optionally light wet blocking.