Trio of Colorwork Hats
Fair isle designs may be most common in sweaters, but at this, the most wonderful time of the year, many of us have little time for elaborate hand knit gifts. Which is why we created this adorable Trio of Colorwork Hats!
When you combine our irresistibly soft and thick Gentle Giant merino with the Magic Loop method , you can turn out a hat for everyone on your list in no time flat. (Not familiar with Magic Loop? Just watch our new video tutorial, and learn how you can dispense with double pointed needles!)
And if you’re knitting up a whole pile of hats, you’ll appreciate that no two need be the same: One basic pattern, plus three designs to choose from, plus 21 different yarn colors to combine, equals lots of options!
There’s nothing like a gift that gives warmth and smiles all around. Cozy, clever, and unique, a Colorwork Hat will bring joy to anyone lucky enough to receive one!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
This project designed for Purl Soho by Jamila Modeste.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoTrioOfColorworkHats, and #PurlSohoGentleGiant. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Main Color (MC): 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Gentle Giant, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this super bulky yarn is 48 yards/ 125 grams; approximately 39 (67, 75) yards required. NOTE: If making Adult Large Polka Dots Hat with an I-Cord topper, you’ll need 2 skeins of the Main Color.
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein of Gentle Giant
NOTE: Switch the colors and have enough yarn to make two Toddler/ Kid Hats!
- US 19 (15mm), 32-, 40-, or 47-inch circular needles (for magic loop method) NOTE: If you don’t want to use the magic loop method, you can use a set of US 19 double pointed needles for traditional in-the-round knitting, instead.
- Optional: Two double pointed needles for I-Cord topper
We used the following color combinations…
- Vertical Stripes Hat: MC is White Peppercorn; CC is Mint Ice
- Polka Dots Hat: MC is Heirloom White; CC is Cowrie Pink
- Fair Isle Ombré Hat: MC is White Peppercorn; CC is Super Yellow
SAMPLES: Our Vertical Stripes and Polka Dots Hats are size Adult Small/ Medium, and our Fair Isle Ombré Hat is size Toddler/ Kid.
Gauge
8 stitches and 9 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
Toddler/Kid, Adult Small/Medium, Adult Large
- Finished circumference: 16 (18, 20) inches
- Finished height (excluding topper): Approximately 8¾ (9¾, 10¾) inches
Note
To make these hats, we used the magic loop method, a popular alternative to using double pointed needles. For the magic loop method you use circular needles that are longer than you would normally use for regular in-the-round knitting. Curious? Visit our Magic Loop Tutorial to learn all about it! (Bad time to learn a new technique? Double pointed needles will work just fine, too!)
Patterns
Vertical Stripes Hat
Brim
With Main Color (MC), use a Long Tail Cast On to cast on 32 (36, 40) stitches.
Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Knit 4 rounds.
Vertical Stripes
Joining Contrast Color (CC)…
Round 1: *K1 with MC, k1 with CC, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 twelve (14, 16) more times.
Crown Shaping
Round 1: *K2tog with CC, k1 with MC, k1 with CC, repeat from * to end of round. [24 (27, 30) stitches]
Round 2: K1 with CC, *k1 with MC, k2 with CC, repeat from * to last two stitches, k1 with MC, k1 with CC.
Cut MC.
Round 3: With CC, *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [16 (18, 20) stitches]
Round 4: Knit to end of round.
Round 5: K2tog 8 (9, 10) times. [8 (9, 10) stitches]
Cut CC, leaving a 24-inch tail and thread it onto a tapestry needle. Draw the needle through the remaining stitches and pull taut.
Tassel
With remaining yarn on tapestry needle, make a tassel by following our Tiny Attached Tassel Tutorial (although this one’s not so tiny!). We made three loops of yarn to create our tassel here.
Weave in remaining ends.
Polka Dots Hat
Brim
With Main Color (MC), use a Long Tail Cast On to cast on 32 (36, 40) stitches.
Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Knit 4 rounds.
Polka Dots
Joining Contrast Color (CC)…
Round 1: *K1 with CC, k3 with MC, repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 2 and 3: Knit with MC to end of round.
Round 4: K2 with MC, *k1 with CC, k3 with MC, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1 with CC, k1 with MC.
Rounds 5 and 6: Knit with MC to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 1-6 one more time.
Repeat Rounds 1-2 (1-3, 1-5) one more time.
Crown Shaping
Round 1: *K2tog with CC, k2 with MC, repeat from * to end of round. [24 (27, 30) stitches]
Round 2: With MC knit to end of round.
Round 3: With MC, *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [16 (18, 20) stitches]
Round 4: With MC, knit to end of round.
Round 5: K2tog with MC, k2tog, with CC, 4 (4, 5) times, k2tog with MC – (1, -) times. [8 (9, 10) stitches]
Cut CC.
I-Cord
Set-Up Row
Toddler/Kid Size: K3tog twice, k2tog. [3 stitches]
Adult Small/Medium Size: K3tog 3 times. [3 stitches]
Adult Large Size: K3tog, K4tog, k3tog. [3 stitches]
Continue
Knit 4 rows of I-Cord.
Next Row: K3tog. [1 stitch]
Cut MC, leaving a 12-inch tail and draw it through remaining stitch.
Tassel
Cut four 9-inch lengths of CC. Using a tapestry needle, thread each length halfway through the tip of the I-Cord to create 8 strands of fringe.
Wrap the I-Cord tail several times around the base of the fringe where it joins the I-Cord.
Thread the tail up through the wraps, and trim fringe to desired length.
Weave in remaining ends.
Fair Isle Ombré Hat
Brim
With Main Color (MC), use a Long Tail Cast On to cast on 32 (36, 40) stitches.
Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Knit 4 rounds.
Fair Isle Ombré
Round 1: *K1 with CC, k3 with MC, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: K2 with MC, *k1 with CC, k3 with MC, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1 with CC, k1 with MC.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 one (1, 2) more time(s).
Repeat Round 1 zero (1, 0) more time(s).
Next Round: *K1 with CC, k1 with MC, repeat from * to end of round.
Next Round: *K1 with MC, k1 with CC, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat last two rounds one (1, 2) time(s).
Adult Small/Medium Size Only: *K1 with CC, k1 with MC, repeat from* to end of round.
Next Round, All Sizes: *K1 with MC, k3 with CC, repeat from * to end of round.
Next Round: K2 with CC, *k1 with MC, k3 with CC, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1 with MC, k1 with CC.
Repeat last two rounds one more time.
Next Round: *K1 with MC, k3 with CC, repeat from * to end of round.
Crown Shaping
Round 1: *K2tog with CC, k1 with CC, k1 with MC, repeat from * to end of round. [24 (27, 30) stitches]
Cut MC.
Round 2: With CC, knit to end of round.
Round 3: *K1, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [16 (18, 20) stitches]
Round 4: Knit to end of round.
Round 5: K2tog 8 (9, 10) times. [8 (9, 10) stitches]
Make I-cord
Set-Up Row
Kid’s Size: K3tog twice, k2tog. [3 stitches]
Adult Small/Medium Size: K3tog three times [3 stitches]
Adult Large Size: K3tog, K4tog, k3tog. [3 stitches]
Continue
Knit 10 rows of I-Cord.
Next Row: K3tog. [1 stitch]
Cut CC, leaving a 12-inch tail and draw it through remaining stitch.
Thread tail onto tapestry needle and pull through top center of hat to inside.
Thoroughly weave in the tail to fasten I-Cord in a loop.
Weave in remaining ends.
LEARN ABOUT GENTLE GIANT + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
You can’t get more gentle or more giant than Gentle Giant! A single ply of 100% merino wool, Gentle Giant has a loose and lofty spin that puts the fiber’s softness up front and also keeps this jumbo-weight yarn from weighing you down. You knit Gentle Giant up on mega US 17 or 19 (12-15 mm) knitting needles, making it a very smart choice for last-minute gifts that don’t sacrifice a lick of beauty!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Gentle Giant knitting patterns and cast on!
More Jumbo-Weight Yarns
- Shop our collection of jumbo-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
i can never get your patterns to print completely and therefore don’t use them for fear that something critical is missing. i also find that there are too many redundant pages. i printed the “trio of colorwork hats” but every page with instructions on it cut off at the bottom but i don’t know how much was cut off. love your site but the patterns are a problem.
Thank you
Hi Diana,
I am sorry to hear that you are having difficulties! We do have a print function that prints only the essentials of the pattern! You can choose to print the images or just the basic pattern.
If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the date and tags. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
It is very easy to print out purlsoho patterns – or anything else, for that matter – if you have WORD installed on your computer. Bring up an empty page on WORD. Drag whatever photos you want to the WORD page. Copy-and-past whatever text you want. Doing this allows you to eliminate any excess and also allows you to downsize the font size so that you save paper. I do this with anything I want to copy. Saves paper and ink.
Hi, I love these hats so much! I’d really like to make one for my infant nephew. Any guidance for making the ombré hat in a baby size?
Thanks,
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thanks for writing in! The easiest way to make this into a baby hat is to use a thinner yarn and smaller needles. You could use our Super Soft Merino and US 11 needles to make the ombre hat. Cast on 36 stitches and follow the directions for the second size with the smaller yarn and needles. The hat will still knit up very fast but work for a baby!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Fantastic, thank you, Cassy! Happy holidays!
Hi Cassy, I have loads of Super Soft Merino in my stash so really appreciate the mods you give for that. I’ll be making the stripes baby hat & would also love to make adult version. Based on a bit of Ravelry research, it looks like if I CO 60 sts that should work for an adult Small. Does that sound right to you ? Also — prob a dumb Q., I’m new to colorwork — I’m assuming no yarn twists needed with the alternate K striping? can’t wait to cast on tonight … many thanks !
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for writing in! For a Super Soft Merino version, so long as your cast on is a multiple of 4, you should be able to follow the colorwork pattern here. You may need to do a little work to alter the color work to make the hat tall enough for an adult. I would suggest using the measurements that we used on the Super Soft Hats for Everyone as a guide. We used 60 stitches for an adult man’s hat. I think that 56 stitches could work well for an adult small.
You can certainly twist colors on the inside of the hat but it should not be necessary!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi, I love these hat patterns and am hoping to make them using your flax down yarn for a baby and child. Can you help?
Thanks!
Hi Teri,
Unfortunately we don’t have this pattern written for a light worsted yarn. I would recommend doing a gauge swatch to figure out how many stitches per inch you are getting with the Flax Down and then trying to calculate how many stitches you will need for the head circumference.
Best,
Carly
How does this pattern keep the hat from curling at the rim (stockinette stitch usually curls)?
Hi Amelia,
Great question! The bulkiness of this yarn prevents it from rolling up at the bottom! Generally stockinette will curl however, the thicker the yarn, the less likely that it is to do so!
Best,
Cassy
Can I use size 17 needles instead of size 19 for these hats? Would I cast on a different number of stitches if so? Thanks.
Hi Kaylo,
Thanks for writing in! While we did use US 17 for the Homestretch Hat using Gentle Giant, colorwork frequently requires going up in needle sizes to account for the stranding on the back of the work. I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch using US 17. If you can get gauge using the smaller needles, you should be all set. If your gauge is off, it would be advisable to go up to the US 19 we used here to ensure that your hat fits and has a pleasing look!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi dear Purl Soho team
Thanks once again for beautiful things you share with us! I had some question to your pattern and stockinette stitch. One of those was already answered to Amelia about curling. And the second one: the stockinette stitch works with round 1-knit, round 2-purl, right? In your pattern though says always to knit. So I don’t understand, how to maintain the stockinette stitch that way?
Sorry for the very basic question, but I would really like to make these hats!
Many thanks in advance!
Merima
Hi Merima,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I can help! As this hat is knit in stockinette in the round, you will knit every stitch and every row. If you were to alternate knit and purl rounds in the round, you would get garter stitch. Knitting is magical sometimes!
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
I am making the polka dots hat and am confused….I am on the crown shaping section and notice the pattern calls for using the CC color as the MC in rounds 1-3 which gives you more stitches in the CC than the MC. Looking at the picture I don’t see 2 CC stitches. It appears in the picture to have the Polka Dots all the way through the decrease rounds….could the pattern be written backwards with the CC and MC colors in this section?
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for reaching out and making us aware of this error! We have fixed it in the pattern and thank you so much for letting us know!
Best,
Cassy
Thank you very much Cassy, this makes sense!
I realized it just after I started knitting. 🙂
I really find these hats amazing and after finishing one, I realized that I would like to make another one with less bulky yarn. I would need 40 sts to obtain gauge. I was wondering if you could help me to figure out, how to do a reasonable decreasing for crown shaping.
Many thanks in advance!
Merima
Hi Merima,
Thanks for writing back! We do not have the resources at present to alter a pattern based on gauge. I’d be happy to point you to a pattern that might work for your gauge. When you say that you need 40 stitches to obtain gauge, do you mean that you are getting 40 stitches over 4 inches? Please let us know and we will do our best to suggest a hat that will work for your yarn!
Best,
Cassy
Dear Cassy, me again!
I just finished the Polka dot hat and I think, there musst be something different between the pattern and the hat on the picture connected to the pattern. The crown shaping is not coming like on your picture. There is too mich of contrast color there and the crown looks bascially as same as the one of ombré hat. It looks nice though. 🙂
Hi Merima,
Thanks for reaching out again! There was an error in the written pattern for the Polka Dot hat! We have now fixed it and it should come out just as the one pictured!
Best,
Cassy
I love your yarn and your patterns–so beautiful! I have the yarn for the Polka Dot hat and want to make this for an adult with double pointed needles. So will that be size 19 as stated above? I don’t really want to do the cord and tassel so will I just finish off as in the directions and pull through and weave in or would there be a change? thank you very much.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for writing in! You are correct! If you would like to use DPNs rather than circular knitting needles, you will still be using the same US 19 needle size. If you would like to omit the tassel, you pull the yarn through at the end!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hello, I’m trying to make the Fair Isle Ombré hat in the toddler size. I’ve completed the mc 4 rounds now in in round 2 in the color work section . If I knit 2 Mc and then do K1 CC then K3 MC at the en when it K1 cc K1 mc I’m short a stitch? Further in the pattern 3rd instruction up from crown shaping it says K2CC then K1MC K3 MC to be repeated. I believe one of theses should be CC? Please help!
Thank you
Hi Judieann,
Thanks for writing in! I think I can help! I find that it is sometimes helpful to write out the full round. Here I will include stitch numbers as well.
K2 MC (stitches 1 and 2)
K1 CC (stitch 3)
K3 MC (stitches 4, 5 and 6)
K1 CC (stitch 7)
K3 MC (stitches 8, 9 and 10)
K1 CC (stitch 11)
K3 MC (stitches 12, 13 and 14)
K1 CC (stitch 15)
K3 MC (stitches 16, 17 and 18)
K1 CC (stitch 19)
K3 MC (stitches 20, 21 and 22)
K1 CC (stitch 23)
K3 MC (stitches 24, 25 and 26)
K1 CC (stitch 27)
K3 MC (stitches 28, 29 and 30)
K1 CC (stitch 31)
K1 MC (stitch 32)
You are correct! There is an error in the “Next Round” before the crown shaping! It should read: K2 with CC, *k1 with MC, k3 with CC, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k1 with MC, k1 with CC. We have corrected it and thank you so much for letting us know!
I hope that this all helps!
Cassy
Hello
Love these hats. Wondering if I want to avoid using magic loop method and double point if 19US 16” circular needles would work for these hats? Thank you!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can! You will also need double pointed needles once you get to the decreases as the 16″ needle will be too large at a certain point!
I hope that this help!
Cassy
Such a classy Woolen Hats. Pictures are looking so soothing and calm. Absolutely flowy.
When I print a free pattern after selecting print, I select the pdf button and down load the pdf version. This prints perfectly. Works with other non-Purlsoho printing in my life.
Can these hats be made on straight needles?
Hi Robin,
Thanks for reaching out! You could knit these hats on straight needles if you wish, but you will need to keep a few things in mind. The first is that, when knitting with a super bulky yarn like Gentle Giant, the seam will also be quite bulky. Also, you will need to add two stitches to the cast on to account for this seam and then adjust your pattern accordingly. Finally, most people find colorwork to be much easier when done in the round since you never have to purl or carry your yarns in the front, and you will have to modify the colorwork pattern slightly since the purl rows will be worked in the opposite direction. If you are up to a bit of a challenge though, it could certainly be done!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Working on the Polkadot hat, and in the image, there are 6 rows with CC. Working through the pattern, there are 7 followed for the toddler pattern. Any advice?
Hi Eleanor!
Thanks for reaching out! The polka dots will be slightly different based on the size hat that you’re making and the number of times the two-color rows are repeated. You are correct that there are 7 rows with contrast color for the toddler size! Our sample of the polk dots hat was knit up in the medium size, which would explain the difference. Hope this helps!
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
Thanks, Cassandra! But there is the variation in the pattern for the toddler size includes 7 rows of CC.
For the toddler size in the fair isle, the pattern also doesn’t match the picture, and this hat is knit for toddler. The crown shaping appears to happen after the 1×1 sections. I knit it up as written and it was SO TALL. Could you please provide an update.
Hi Eleanor,
I reached out to our design team and they worked out all of the details! You are correct and there was indeed a mistake. The pattern has been updated and corrected for the toddler size to reflect the hat as shown in the photos. Thank you for catching this, and I apologize for any frustration this mistake may have caused you with your project. We always want everyone’s knitting to be as stress-free as possible!
Best,
Cassandra
How much yardage will be left of each color if I make the polka dot hat? I’d like to make several and wonder how much yarn is actually used. Thanks!
Hi Rose,
Thank you for reaching out! I unfortunately don’t have to total amount for each color used but I do have to total amount of yards used for each of the hats. Toddler/Kid: 35.5 yards, Adult Small/Medium: 60.5 yards, Adult Large: 68 yards.
All the best,
Gianna
To make the I-cord finish, do I need size 19 double point needles?
Hi Karen,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you will need 2 US 19 double pointed needles if you want the I-cord topper.
All the best,
Gianna
I would like to make these hats for grandchildren, but they are allergic to wool. What acrylic yarn might you suggest? I would love to be able to have a large selection of colors similar to the wools shown with the pattern. Thank you!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! We don’t carry any acrylic yarn so I can’t recommend one that would work for this pattern. However or yarn Gentle Giant that we use for this pattern is a Super Bulky weight yarn, so any super bulky weight yarn with a US 19 needle will work for this pattern!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi. I was disappointed that I ran out of my MC yarn (Gentle Giant) while making the Polka Dot hat in adult medium. My gauge was perfect —even used size 17 needles instead of 19. I had to do the crown in the CC.
Hi Robin,
Thanks for writing in! The problem was likely that you changed needle size! Was your gauge not accurate on a size 19 needle? Going down in needle size results in a more dense knit, so it is possible when doing that you ate up more yarn than you would have on a 19.
I hope this clears things up!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi. I made the Vertical Stripes Hat with Gentle Giant yarn using the adult small/medium size. I thought I made gauge, but in hindsight, I guess I didn’t, because the hat came out way too big. (Now I see my old comment about going down to size 17 needles for the Polka Dot Hat, which fits fine! Sigh. )
My questions are 1) Can I shrink it by drying it in a hot dryer? 2) Will the Gentle Giant felt (which I don’t want)? 3) If it will shrink and not felt, should I dry it in a lingerie bag? 4) If I need to block it again because the brim curled up (which I don’t want), will it just stretch back out?
Hi Robin,
Thank you for writing in! Unfortunately, we only recommend spot-cleaning items knit with Gentle Giant as either the washer or dryer is sure to felt this yarn! You could attempt to block your hat again and stretch it vertically so that the hat pulls in a bit but I am sorry to say there is no easy fix besides possibly starting the hat again. Please let me know if you have any more questions!
All the best,
Gavriella