Valley Yarns Cameo Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Cameo Knit Hat

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Cameo is a slouchy beanie hat designed by Julie Turjoman, available in three sizes (S, M, L) with finished band circumferences of 18, 20, and 22 inches unstretched. The hat is crafted from Valley Yarns Taconic, a premium blend of 70% Merino Wool and 30% Cashmere that provides both a tweedy texture and soft hand feel. This advanced beginner-level knitting project features a distinctive design element: decorative button accents on an overlapping cabled band that adds visual interest and a fun twist to a standard beanie construction.

Techniques Used

The Cameo employs multiple knitting techniques that work together to create its unique structure and appearance. The construction begins with a sideways-worked cable band, which is knitted flat in rows rather than in the round. Once the band is complete, stitches are picked up from one long side edge of this band, and the main body of the hat is then worked in the round using circular needles. This bottom-up approach allows knitters to build the hat from the band upward to the crown. The hat features seaming during finishing, as the overlapping ends of the band are tacked together and embellished with buttons. Knitters can customize the slouch factor by working additional rounds before shaping the crown, though this requires extra yardage beyond the standard yarn requirement.

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates several fundamental and intermediate stitches. The cabled band features a 14-stitch cable repeat that measures approximately 2½ inches wide by 1 inch long, creating the textured, decorative band that wraps around the hat. The main rise and crown of the hat are worked in stockinette stitch, which provides a smooth, classic fabric that contrasts beautifully with the cable texture of the band. The band itself also includes garter stitch sections at the short ends, which are overlapped during finishing. Cable stitches require the use of a cable needle to create the twisted, braided appearance characteristic of this stitch family.

Materials and Tools

The Cameo requires US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles, specifically a 16-inch circular needle and double-pointed needles (dpns), or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge of 18 stitches and 26 rounds equaling 4 inches in stockinette stitch on the rise and crown when blocked. Yarn requirements vary by size: Size S requires 1 ball of Valley Yarns Taconic, while sizes M and L each require 2 balls. The yarn comes in the colorway Dark Olive Tweed (color #514572). Additional materials include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and decreases, a cable needle for working cable stitches, a tapestry needle for seaming and finishing, and two ¾-inch diameter decorative buttons for the overlapping band accent. The pattern recommends switching from the 16-inch circular needle to double-pointed needles at the crown when the stitch count becomes too reduced to work comfortably on the circular needle.

Construction Details

The Cameo's construction method distinguishes it from typical top-down or standard bottom-up beanies. The band is cast on using the Long-Tail method with 12 stitches and worked flat in rows using the cable pattern. Once the band reaches the desired length, one short end is overlapped on top of the other short end of garter stitch, and these overlapped sections are tacked together using waste yarn and a tapestry needle. The decorative buttons are then stitched onto the top of this overlapped section during finishing. From the long side edge of the completed band, stitches are picked up and the rise is worked in the round in stockinette stitch on a 16-inch circular needle. The crown is shaped through decreases worked in the round, and the pattern notes that additional rounds can be worked before crown shaping to create a slouchier silhouette, though this increases yardage requirements. The finished hat measures 8¾ to 9¾ inches in height depending on size, and fits head circumferences of 18–20, 20–22, or 22–24 inches.