I have a soft spot for shaping. The only thing I find more rewarding than beautiful, efficient shaping is beautiful, efficient shaping that is as striking on the right side as it is on the wrong.

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

Our Reversible Pleat Hat has just this wonderment and reward. The unexpected technique of pleats form the crown, and what’s better, these pleats have personality inside and out!

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

Knit in our lofty Flax Down, these Reversible Pleat Hats are wonderfully cozy and warm. We also added a touch of contrast color to highlight the key moments that transform a stockinette tube into a treasured winter accessory… Perhaps making the “wrong side” of the pattern the “right side” for the wearer! -Laura

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

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

Materials

  • Main Color (MC): 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Flax Down, 43% baby alpaca, 42% extra fine merino, and 15% linen. Each skein is 219 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 135 (150, 195) yards required. (NOTE: We no longer offer Flax Down, but choose from one of our other light worsted/dk weight yarns.)
  • Contrast Color (CC): 5 yards of Purl Soho’s Flax Down in a contrast color. (Consider buying two skeins and making two hats in reverse colors!)
  • Main Needles: US 6 (4mm), 16-inch circular needles
  • Spare Needles: 16-inch circular needles, any size smaller than the Main Needles
  • A set of four double pointed needles, same size as Main Needles
  • Needles A and B: Two extra double pointed needles, same size as Main Needles or smaller
  • 1 stitch marker

TODDLER

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Kiln Red for the Main Color + Heirloom White for the Contrast Color

KID

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Heirloom White for the Main Color + Rose Granite for the Contrast Color

ADULT SMALL

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Ballet Pink for the Main Color + Heirloom White for the Contrast Color

Gauge

23 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

Sizes

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

  • Finished Circumference: 15¼ (16¾, 18, 19½, 20¾) inches
  • Finished Height: 6 (7, 7½, 8¼, 9¼) inches

Pattern

Cast On

With CC, loosely cast 78 (86, 94, 102, 110) stitches onto the Main Needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Cut CC, leaving only a few inches. Wet splice the MC to the CC.

Cast on 10 more stitches. [88 (96, 104, 112, 120) stitches]

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

NOTE: Wet splicing works beautifully with Flax Down. It also eliminates a tail to weave in and makes the hem easier to work, but if you’d like to avoid wet splicing, simply use the CC to cast on 88 (96, 104, 112, 120) stitches, cut the CC, place marker, and join MC for working in the round.

Make Hemmed Edge

NOTE: For additional tips on making a hemmed edge, visit our Knit Hem Tutorial. Please note that the video tutorial is slightly different that what we explain below.

Continue in stockinette stitch, knitting each round, until piece measures 2 ½ (2 ¾, 3, 3 ¼, 3 ½) inches from cast-on edge.

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

With the wrong side facing you and the cast-on edge at the top, use the Spare Needles to pick up (without knitting) each stitch along the cast-on edge. Rather than picking up a purl bump that looks like a lower-case “u” in the same column as the live stitch (as shown in the video), pick up a purl bump that looks like a lower-case “n,” ½ column over from the live stitch. Pick up from the back of the stitch to the front.

Now, fold the fabric in half so that the wrong sides are together and the Spare Needles are behind the Main Needles.

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

Next Round: *Knit together one stitch from the Main Needles with one stitch from the Spare Needles, repeat from * to end of round.

Work Body of Hat

Continue in stockinette stitch, knitting each round, until piece measures 6 (7, 7 ½, 8 ¼, 9 ¼) inches from hemmed edge.

Make Pleats

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***With yarn in back, slip the next 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches purlwise onto Needle A (see Materials list, above). Slip following 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches purlwise onto Needle B. Bring Needles A and B parallel to each other, creating a fold in the fabric with the wrong sides together. Needle A is closer to you.

Using a double pointed needle from the set of 4, [knit together one stitch from Needle A with one stitch from Needle B] 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) times. [11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches decreased]

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With yarn in back, slip the next 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches purlwise onto Needle A. Bring Needle A to the backside of the left end of the Main Needles, creating a fold in the fabric with the wrong sides together. The needles are parallel and the left end of the Main Needles is closer to you.

Using another double pointed needle from the set of 4, [knit together one stitch from the Main Needles with one stitch from Needle A] 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) times. [11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches decreased]

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

You’ve now completed two of the four pleats.

Repeat from *** one time. [Total of 44 (48, 52, 56, 60) stitches: 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches on each of four double pointed needles]

Cut yarn and weave in the tail.

Graft Top

If you haven’t already, remove the end-of-round marker.

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho

Slip the next 11 (12, 13, 14, 15) stitches onto the last double pointed needle so there are 22 (24, 26, 28, 30) stitches on it. Arrange the remaining 22 (24, 26, 28, 30) stitches onto a single double pointed needle.

Holding the two double pointed needles parallel and with a tapestry needle threaded with a length of MC, use the Kitchener Stitch to graft the top of the hat closed.

Add Tassel

Turn hat purlside out.

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Cut a length of CC, a yard or two long. Thread it onto a tapestry needle.

Draw the tapestry needle through the 4 stitches where the four pleats meet. Go through these 4 stitches once more and pull taut.

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You are now ready to make a Tiny Attached Tassel by following the instructions found here.

Finish

Weave in the ends and block as desired.

Reversible Pleat Hat | Purl Soho