I know how these Color Dipped Hats were made, but even still, I like to imagine something wildly different. I think of them as capturing the tiny window in time when a soft white fabric is quickly dipped into a vat of pigment, and the color seeps through the outside but hasn’t yet coated the inside.

Color Dipped Hat | Purl Soho

Using two colors of Purl Soho’s lovely Line Weight to knit up easy-as-pie Fisherman’s Rib, you’ll find that one side of the hat’s edge is almost saturated with color, while the other is just lightly striped. Such a surprising and beautiful effect from so little effort!

Color Dipped Hat | Purl Soho

Wear it one way out or the other, cuffed and beany-ish or uncuffed and slouchy… The Color Dipped Hat is like four hats in one, each one a study in the marvel of knitting! -Laura

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoColorDippedHat, and #PurlSohoLineWeight. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Color Dipped Hat | Purl Soho

Materials

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  • Main Color (MC): 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Line Weight, 100% merino wool. Each skein is 494 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 133 (148, 162, 250) yards required. We used the color Heirloom White.
  • Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein of Line Weight; approximately 30 (50, 60, 80) yards required. We used the colors Pink Grapefruit, Super Pink, and Sea Salt.
  • US 2 (3 mm), 16-inch circular needles (or 12-inch for Baby size only)
  • A set of US 2 double pointed needles
  • stitch markers, including one unique

Gauge

24 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in Fisherman’s Rib

To make a Fisherman’s Rib swatch flat (not in the round), cast on an odd number of stitches and work the following…

Set-Up Row: *K1, p1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 1: K1, *k1b (see Notes below), p1, rep from * to last two stitches, k1b, k1.

Row 2: K1, *p1, k1b, rep from * to last two stitches, p1, k1.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2.

Sizes

Baby (Toddler/Kid, Teen/Adult Small, Adult Large)

  • Finished Circumference: 14 ½ (17 ¼, 20, 22 ½) inches
  • Finished Height: 8 (9, 11, 12) inches

SAMPLES: We knit the size Baby in Pink Grapefruit, Teen/Adult Small in Super Pink, and Adult Large in Sea Salt.

Notes

Working into the Stitch Below

k1b [knit one below]: Insert the tip of the right needle into the stitch below the next stitch from front to back, knit normally (wrapping the yarn around the needle and pulling it back through the stitch below) and let the stitch above fall from the left needle.

p1b [purl one below]: Insert the tip of the right needle into the stitch below the next stitch from back to front, purl normally (wrapping the yarn around the needle and pulling it back through the stitch below) and let the stitch above fall from the left needle.

For more information about these techniques, be sure to visit our Working into the Stitch Below Tutorial!

Decreases

Rsl dec [right slanting decrease]:

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Slip one stitch knitwise with yarn in back, knit one, then…

  • pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch and off the right needle…
  • place the knit stitch you just worked onto the left needle, pass the following stitch over it and off the left needle…
  • place the knit stitch back on the right needle. [2 stitches decreased]

Lsl dec [left slanting decrease]:

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  • Slip one stitch knitwise with yarn in back…
  • knit the following two stitches together…
  • pass the slipped stitch over the k2tog and off the right needle. [2 stitches decreased]

Pattern

Begin at Bottom Edge

With CC, cast 88 (104, 120, 136) stitches onto the circular needle. I used a Long Tail Tubular Cast On, because it’s nice and stretchy, but a basic Long Tail Cast On would also be beautiful (and less complicated)! If you use the Long Tail Tubular Cast On, don’t forget to work the two Foundation Rows before joining in the round (they are described both in our tutorial and below).

If You Did a Long Tail Tubular Cast On…

Foundation Row 1: *Knit 1 through the back loop, slip one with yarn in front, repeat from * to end of row.

Foundation Row 2: *Knit 1, slip 1 with yarn in front, repeat from * to end of row.

If you Did a Long Tail Cast on or Similar…

Foundation Row: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of row.

Work Body of Hat

Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: With CC,  *k1b, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: With MC, *k1, p1b, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 2 (2 1/4, 2 3/4, 3) inches from the cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.

Cut CC.

With MC…

Round 1: *K1b, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: *K1, p1b, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 6 ¾ (7, 9 ¼, 9 ½) inches from cast-on edge.

Shape Crown

NOTE: Switch to double pointed needles when necessary.

Set-Up Round: [(K1b, p1) eleven (13, 15, 17) times, place marker] three times,  continue in established pattern to end of round.

Round 1 (decrease): [K1, p1b, Lsl dec, *p1b, k1, repeat from * to five stitches before next marker, p1b, Rsl dec, p1b] four times. [16 stitches decreased]

Round 2: [K1b, p1, k1, *p1, k1b, repeat from * to three stitches before next marker, p1, k1, p1] four times.

Round 3: *K1, p1b, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4 (decrease): [K1b, p1, Lsl dec, *p1, k1b, repeat from * to five stitches before next marker, p1, Rsl dec, p1] four times. [16 stitches decreased]

Round 5: *K1, p1b, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 6: *K1b, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1-6 one (1, 2, 2) more time(s). [24 (40, 24, 40) stitches]

For Sizes Toddler/Kid and Adult Large Only

Repeat Round 1 one more time. [24 stitches, both sizes]

Next Round: *K1b, p1, repeat from * to last two stitches, removing stitch markers as you get to them, then slip two stitches onto right needle, remove end-of-round marker, replace two slipped stitches onto left needle.

Final Decrease Round: [Slip 3 stitches together knitwise, k2tog, pass 3 slipped stitches over and off needle, p1b] four times. [8 stitches, both sizes]

For Sizes Baby and Teen/Adult Small Only

Next Round: *K1, p1b, repeat from * to last two stitches, removing stitch markers as you get to them, then slip two stitches onto right needle, remove end-of-round marker, replace two slipped stitches onto left needle.

Final Decrease Round: [Slip 3 stitches together knitwise, k2tog, pass 3 slipped stitches over and off needle, p1] four times. [8 stitches, both sizes]

Finish

Cut yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches and pull taut.

Weave in the ends and block as desired.

Color Dipped Hat | Purl Soho