Our Lovely Ribbed Hat may take its cue from the classic watchman cap, but you don’t have to be a stevedore to wear this perfectly constructed little head warmer!

Lovely Ribbed Hat | Purl Soho

Our version retains the soul of the ones worn on docks and decks since who-knows-when, but it has certainly dispensed with the itch. Knit up in our incredibly soft Season Alpaca, this simple hat is sumptuous and warm and wonderful on the head!

Lovely Ribbed Hat | Purl Soho

Wear your Lovely Ribbed Hat like Jacques Cousteau, neat and trim with a turned up rim, or leave it long for a more tossed-off look. It’s happy either way!

Lovely Ribbed Hat | Purl Soho

And in a 2 x2 rib, you’ll just be alternating a couple of knits with a couple of purls. If you can do that, you can make one for everyone in your life, from toddlers to adults. And it’s an ideal project to take with you anywhere… You’ll just need one skein for all but the largest size, which only takes 2!

Lovely Ribbed Hat | Purl Soho

Update: New Yarn

February 28, 2020
Lovely Ribbed Hat | Purl Soho

This particular Lovely Ribbed Hat is not only one of our most beloved and classic hat patterns, it also introduces our very newest yarn, Linen Quill Worsted (no longer available)! Read all about it here!

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Laura Ferguson.

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

Materials

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  • 1 (1, 2) skeins of Purl Soho’s Season Alpaca, 100% baby alpaca. Each skein is 218 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 106 (205, 264) yards required. We used the colors Pink Taupe (Baby Fawn, Dove Gray).
  • US 2 (3 mm), 16-inch circular needles (or 12-inch for Baby size)
  • A set of US 2 double pointed needles
  • Stitch markers, including 1 unique

Gauge

36 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern

Sizes

Toddler/Kid Small (Kid Large/Adult Small, Adult Large)
To fit actual head size of 14 to 16¼ (19 to 22, 23½ to 27¼) inches

  • Finished Circumference (unstretched): 10¾ (14¼, 17¾) inches
  • Finished Height: 7¾ (11, 12¼) inches

Samples: The Pink Taupe hat is the Toddler/Kid Small size, the Baby Fawn hat is the Kid Large/Adult Small size, and the Dove Gray hat (modeled) is the Adult Large size.

Pattern

Begin At Bottom Edge

Cast 96 (128, 160) stitches onto circular needles. We 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 used a Long Tail Tubular Cast On…

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

Foundation Row 2: *K1, slip 1 purlwise wyif, repeat from * to end of row.

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

Foundation Round 3: *K1, knit the second stitch on the left needle letting the first stitch temporarily fall off the left needle, place that fallen stitch back onto the left needle, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

If you used a Long Tail Cast On…

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

Continue In 2 x 2 Rib

Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 6½ (8¾, 9) inches from cast-on edge.

Shape Crown

NOTE: Change to double pointed needles when necessary.

Set-Up Round: Remove unique end-of-round stitch marker, k1, replace unique end-of-round stitch marker, [(k1, p2, k1) 6 (8, 10) times, place marker] 3 times, *k1, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 1: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, slip slip knit (ssk), *p1, k2, p1, repeat from * to 2 stitches before next marker, knit two together (k2tog)] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 2: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, k1, *p1, k2, p1, repeat from * to 1 stitch before next marker, k1] 4 times.

Round 3: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, ssk, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k2, k2tog] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 4: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, k3, *p2, k2, repeat from * to 1 stitch before next marker, k1] 4 times.

Round 5: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, ssk, *k1, p2, k1, repeat from * to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 6: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, *k2, p2, repeat from * to 2 stitches before next marker, k2] 4 times.

Round 7: [(K1, p2, k1) 2 times, ssk, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 4 stitches before next marker, p2, k2tog] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]

Round 8: *K1, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1-8 zero (1, 2) more time(s). [64 stitches]

Next Round: *Ssk, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [32 stitches]

Repeat last round. [16 stitches]

Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Draw needle through remaining stitches, pull taut, and bring tail to inside of hat to weave in.

Finish

Weave in remaining ends and block as desired.

Lovely Ribbed Hat | Purl Soho