Tahki Yarns Montrose Hat & Scarf Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Montrose Hat & Scarf

What Is Being Made

The Montrose Hat & Scarf set is a coordinated knitting project designed by Susan Baron. This pattern provides instructions for creating a matching hat and scarf using the same yarn and complementary stitch techniques. The hat is a seamless, crown-down design with a finished circumference of 20 inches (50cm) and height of 9½ inches (24cm). The scarf is a flat-worked rectangular piece measuring 68 inches (173cm) in length and 5½ inches (14cm) in width. Both pieces feature cable stitch patterning as a central design element.

Techniques Used

This beginner-friendly pattern employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for crafters developing their skills:

• Seamless Construction: The hat is worked in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a polished, continuous fabric.
• Bottom-Up Construction: Both the hat and scarf are worked from the cast-on edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the hat as it progresses and adjust length as desired.
• Worked Flat: The scarf is knitted flat on straight needles, with edge stitches maintained throughout for neat selvages.
• Cable Techniques: The pattern incorporates cable stitches using a cable needle, including specialized decreasing techniques that integrate cables with decreases for shaping.
• Decreasing Methods: Multiple decrease techniques are employed, including ssk (slip, slip, knit), p2tog (purl 2 together), p3tog (purl 3 together), and k2tog (knit 2 together) for shaping the hat crown.
• Lifted Increases: The LLI (Left Lifted Leg Increase) technique is used to add stitches while maintaining pattern continuity.

Stitches Used

The Montrose pattern utilizes a variety of stitch techniques to create its textured appearance:

• Large Cable Pattern: The primary stitch pattern, worked over a gauge of 17 stitches and 22 rows/rounds per 4 inches (10cm) in the cable pattern.
• Small Cable Pattern: Used in the scarf construction, providing visual interest across the flat-worked piece.
• 1/1/1 Left Purl Cross (1/1/1 LPC): A specialized cable cross that slips 2 stitches to a cable needle and holds them in front, knits 1 stitch, then returns the left-most stitch from the cable needle to the left-hand needle for purling, followed by knitting the remaining stitch from the cable needle.
• 2/1/2 Left Purl Cross (2/1/2 LPC): An advanced cable cross that slips 3 stitches to a cable needle and holds them in front, knits 2 stitches, returns the left-most stitch from the cable needle to the left-hand needle for purling, then knits the remaining 2 stitches from the cable needle.
• Ribbing: Alternating knit and purl stitches (k1, p1) are used for edging and shaping transitions, particularly in the hat crown decreases.

Materials

The Montrose Hat & Scarf pattern is designed to be worked in Tahki Gunnison yarn, a blend of 57% wool and 43% polyacrylic. The hat requires 1 hank of Tahki Gunnison (3.5 ounces/100 grams; 218 yards/199 meters) in color #2014 burgundy, while the scarf requires 2 hanks of the same yarn and color. The pattern calls for US 8 (5mm) needles: a 16-inch circular needle for the hat body and a set of US 8 (5mm) double-pointed needles for the crown decreases. Additional tools include a cable needle for managing cable stitches, a stitch marker for tracking rounds, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends and closing the hat crown. Proper gauge is essential; knitters should aim for 17 stitches and 22 rows/rounds equaling 4 inches (10cm) when worked in the Large Cable pattern.