Third Piece The Bryant Hat Knitting Pattern

Third Piece The Bryant Hat: Seamless Knit Star Stitch Design

What Is Being Made

The Bryant is a classic knit hat featuring a distinctive star stitch pattern, designed and created by The Third Piece. This finished hat measures 20 inches in circumference and stands 10 inches tall without the decorative pompom, making it a versatile size suitable for various head sizes. The hat is worked seamlessly from the bottom up in the round, creating a polished, continuous fabric without seams.

Techniques Used

This design employs seamless, in-the-round knitting as its primary construction method. The hat begins with a crochet cast-on to create a flexible edge, followed by ribbed edging for structure and comfort. The body features the signature star stitch pattern, which creates a textured, dimensional fabric. Strategic increases shape the hat after the ribbed cuff, while a series of decreases gradually narrow the crown to a small opening. The pattern concludes with a gathered top and the addition of a hand-made pompom for finishing.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Bryant incorporates several essential knitting stitches and techniques:

• 1x1 Ribbing: Alternating knit and purl stitches create the elastic cuff, which measures 3.5 inches and provides a snug, comfortable fit around the head.
• Star Stitch Pattern: The main body pattern repeats over four rounds and combines yarn overs, knit stitches, and pass-over decreases to create a distinctive star-like texture. This pattern is offset on alternating rounds to maintain visual balance.
• Increases: Make-one increases (M1) are distributed evenly to expand the fabric after the ribbed cuff, raising the stitch count from 40 to 45 stitches.
• Decreases: Multiple decrease rounds using knit-two-together (k2tog) gradually reduce stitches from 45 down to 6 stitches over the crown shaping section, creating a smooth, tapered top.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Bryant is designed to be worked with Funky Chunky by The Third Piece, a super soft merino wool yarn composed of 100% merino fiber. One ball provides 200 grams of yarn with 82 yards of yardage, offering substantial weight and warmth in a chunky weight category.

The pattern calls for US #11 (8mm) needles in two formats: a 16-inch circular needle for the main body and double-pointed needles for the final crown decreases when the stitch count becomes too small for circular needles. A crochet hook size N is used to create the crochet cast-on edge. The recommended gauge is 10 stitches by 12 rows over 4 inches when worked in the star stitch pattern, ensuring proper fit and fabric drape.