Contrast Cuff Hat + Hand Warmers
Every color of Speckled Hen starts with an incredibly soft alpaca roving at its core. Roving is unspun fiber, and it’s that downy, super cozy roving that gets wrapped with a fine, undyed strand of merino, either in creamy, natural white or rich, very dark brown. This unique structure offers the marvelous opportunity to pair the same color roving with different color wraps, and our Contrast Cuff Hat + Hand Warmers does just that, creating a striking play of light and dark… The same but different!
We used this feature of Speckled Hen to capture the graphic design details of this accessory set. Easy enough for a very beginner to knit, the color shift does all the work to make these beauties so special.
All you do to make them is knit both the hat and hand warmers flat in garter stitch (hello, knit stitches!), then sew a simple seam to pull your knitting into shape. The seaming is super easy, and if you’ve never done it, our tutorial will show you how!
That’s the color and the knitting, but you’ll also love the feeling! Eighty percent baby alpaca (so soft!) and 20% fine merino wool (same!), Speckled Hen feels wonderful in your hands as you knit, and once blocked, the roving blooms to create a subtle halo and increase the softness even more!
So, pick your favorite pair from Speckled Hen’s inviting palette and get ready to play! Knit the cuffs light or dark, or switch it up between your hat and hand warmers… Either way the stippled beauty and wonderful feel of Speckled Hen will make each stitch a pleasure!
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!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Keith Foster. Click here to see even more of Keith’s work!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoContrastCuffHatAndHandWarmers, and #PurlSohoSpeckledHen. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
HAT
- Purl Soho’s Speckled Hen, 80% baby alpaca and 20% fine merino wool. Each ball is 120 yards/ 50 grams.
- Main Color (MC): 1 (2, 2, 2, 2) skein(s); approximately 95 (135, 170, 200, 240) total yards required
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein; approximately 55 (65, 80, 100, 120) total yards required
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 24-inch circular needles
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
HAND WARMERS
- Purl Soho’s Speckled Hen, 80% baby alpaca and 20% fine merino wool. Each ball is 120 yards/ 50 grams.
- Main Color (MC): 1 (1, 2, 2) skein(s); approximately 80 (110, 130, 180) total yards required
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein; approximately 20 (35, 50, 75) total yards required
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 24-inch circular needles
- Stitch markers
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
To make both the Hat and Hand Warmers, you will need…
- MC: 2 (2, 3, 3, 4) balls of Speckled Hen; approximately 175 (215, 280, 330, 420) yards required
- CC: 1 (1, 1, 2, 2) ball(s) of Speckled Hen; approximately 75 (85, 115, 150, 195) yards required
We made our samples in these color combinations…
Baby Hat + Baby/ Toddler Hand Warmers
- MC Rainstorm Blue + CC Dew Blue
Kid Set
- MC Rose Peat + CC Cameo Pink
Adult Small/ Medium Sets
- MC Estuary Blue + CC White Caps Blue
- MC Lilac Daybreak + CC Wisteria Vine
Adult Medium/ Large Set
- MC Heirloom White + CC Quail Feather
GAUGE
25 stitches and 50 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
SIZES
HAT
Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small/ Medium, Adult Medium/ Large)
- Finished Circumference: 14½ (15¾, 17¼, 20¼, 21½) inches unstretched, comfortably stretching to 16 (18, 20, 22½, 24½) inches
- Finished Height: 8 (8½, 10½, 11¼, 12½) inches, uncuffed
HAND WARMERS
Baby/ Toddler (Kid, Adult Small/ Medium, Adult Medium/ Large)
- Finished Circumference: 4¾ (5½, 6½, 7¾) inches, comfortably stretching up to 2 inches
Finished Length: 7 (8¼, 9, 10¼) inches
HAT PATTERN
CUFF
With Contrast Color (CC), cast on 90 (99, 108, 126, 135) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Do not join for working in the round.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Mark last row with a removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn to indicate the right side.
Repeat Row 1 until piece measures 2½ (2¾, 3¼, 3½, 4) inches from cast-on edge, ending with a wrong-side row.
Cut CC, leaving a 12-inch tail.
BODY
Join Main Color (MC) and repeat Row 1 until piece measures 6¾ (7¾, 9, 9½, 10½) inches from cast-on edge, ending with a right-side row.
Crown
Set-Up Row (wrong side): [K10 (11, 12, 14, 15), place marker] 8 times, knit to end of row.
Row 1 (right side): [Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), slip marker] 8 times, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [9 stitches decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row, slipping markers as you come to them.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 five (6, 7, 9, 10) more times, then repeat Row 1 one more time, removing markers as you go. [27 stitches remain]
Next Row (wrong side): [K1, slip slip knit] 9 times. [18 stitches remain]
Next Row (right side): [K2tog] 9 times. [9 stitches remain]
Cut MC, leaving a 36-inch tail.
FINISHING
NOTE: For help with seaming, please visit our Seaming Garter Stitch tutorial at purlsoho.com/create/seaming-garter-stitch
With right side still facing you, slide 9 remaining stitches to the right end of needles. Thread tail onto a tapestry needle, and bringing it behind the work, insert the needle through each of the remaining stitches, starting with the stitch at the tip of the right needle. Thread tail through these stitches again in the same way and pull tail tight to securely close top of Crown.
With same MC tail, seam Hat from Crown to beginning of Body; then, use CC tail to seam Cuff down to cast-on edge.
Weave in all ends and block as desired.
HAND WARMERS PATTERN
WRIST
With Main Color (MC), cast on 30 (34, 40, 48) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On. Do not join for working in the round.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Mark last row with a removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn to indicate the right side.
Repeat Row 1 until piece measures 4½ (5, 5¼, 5½) inches from cast-on edge, ending with a wrong side row.
THUMB HOLE
DIVIDE FOR THUMB HOLE
Division Row (right side): K14 (16, 19, 23), knit front and back (kfb), place remaining 15 (17, 20, 24) stitches onto stitch holder or scrap yarn for Second Half. [16 (18, 21, 25) stitches remain on needles for First Half]
WORK FIRST HALF
Continuing with 16 (18, 21, 25) live stitches…
Row 1 (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front (wyif), knit to end of row.
Row 2 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 five (7, 7, 9) more times. [6 (8, 8, 10) total garter ridges for First Half]
Place First Half stitches onto stitch holder or scrap yarn and cut MC, leaving a 12-inch tail.
WORK SECOND HALF
Slip 15 (17, 20, 24) on-hold Second Half stitches onto needles and rejoin MC, ready to work a rightside row.
Row 1 (right side): Kfb, knit to end of row. [16 (18, 21, 25) stitches]
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to last stitch, slip 1 purlwise wyif.
Row 3 (right side): Knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 five (7, 7, 9) more times. [6 (8, 8, 10) total garter ridges for Second Half]
JOIN FOR PALM
Joining Row (wrong side): K14 (16, 19, 23), slip slip knit; beginning with the outermost stitch, slip on-hold First Half stitches onto left needle, knit 2 together, knit to end of row. [30 (34, 40, 48) stitches remain]
Cut MC, leaving a 24-inch tail.
PALM
Join Contrast Color (CC) and continue in garter stitch, knitting every row, for 1½ (2, 2½, 3) inches, ending with a wrong-side row.
With right side facing you, loosely bind off all stitches knitwise.
Cut CC, leaving a 12-inch tail.
FINISHING
NOTE: For help with seaming, please visit our Seaming Garter Stitch tutorial at purlsoho.com/create/seaming-garter-stitch
With long CC tail, seam from bind-off edge to beginning of Palm; then, use long MC tail to seam remainder of Hand Warmer down to cast-on edge.
Weave in all the ends and make another Hand Warmer just like the first.
Gently wet block your finished Hand Warmers and you’re done!
Learn About Speckled Hen + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Our Speckled Hen yarn adds a distinctive texture and natural character to this project. As soft as a feather, this sport-weight yarn creates a charismatic marled fabric in an all-over stippled pattern, kind of like a speckled hen! It starts with a super soft and fluffy baby alpaca roving, which then gets encased in a delicate web of undyed fine merino wool, a fascinating structure and a wonderful yarn to knit and wear!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of free Speckled Hen knitting patterns and cast on!
More Sport-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of sport-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 Fiber
- Shop alpaca yarn
- Shop merino wool yarn
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 am loving this pattern.Gonna try it
Loving this
Wondering is this would this be a good yarn for socks? I love the speckles but don’t need any more hats at the moment. Would love to know what other projects this pretty yarn would lend itself to knitting up.
Hi Mary,
Thank you for writing in! This yarn would make a lovely pair of socks! I would recommend checking out our Socks For Giving pattern which you can get for free by entering your email at the top of the pattern page. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you for all your great patterns!
Thank you for the lovely free pattern!
So cute!
I’m looking for a black and white combo. Which would that be. Thank you
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for writing in! That combination would be out MC Heirloom White + CC Quail Feather mix! I hope this helps!
Happy making,
Gavriella
I really like this design and the yarn is so soft and silky feeling. I purchased the required amount of Speckled Hen to knit the hat and hand warmers without reading the pattern first. I would prefer to knit them in the round rather than flat with some seaming. Can you suggest a pattern for both of these items that would accommodate knitting in the round with a thumb gusset? Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
I’m so glad to hear that you love Speckled Hen! I’m happy to recommend another pattern that’s knit in the round. My first thought is the Classic Hat + Mittens, which is also designed for a sportweight yarn, so you’d have no trouble matching the gauge. Let me know what you think! Happy to come up with some other options as well.
All the best,
Lili
Would it work with the seaming to knit with a garter stitch selvedge edge, such as casting on two extra sts and slip the first stitch purlwise, knit to the end of the row and repeat every row?
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for writing in! I would suggest knitting the pattern as is, leaving off the selvage edge. This will help give you a seamless look once your mitts and hat are ready for finishing! You can find that seaming tutorial here. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you, Gavriella, for your advice and the link for the seaming tutorial. I love Purl Soho … so glad we have you!
You are very welcome! We are always here should you have any other questions in the future!
Hi guys, finished the hat to go with the sleeve scarf. Did the adult small with 126 stitches. Lovely hat but, way too big on me. Should have done the kids size. Will give it as gift to friend.
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for writing in although I am so sorry to hear your hat came out too wide. It sounds like you may have been getting less stitches per inch than the recommended gauge of the pattern. I’d recommend making a gauge swatch before knitting your next hat just to be sure you are meeting the same tension as the pattern. You can also read all about gauge and adjusting needle sizes to make sure your knits come out to the desired size here. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I am up to the step to join for the palm on the hand warmers, but I can’t understand the part about slipping the first half stitches on to the left needle beginning with the outermost stitch? Can you explain it differently or show me a picture?
Hi Carmen,
Thanks for writing in! The “outermost stitch” is the one on the furthest edge of the on-hold stitches. This is the stitch furthest away from the tip of your right needle, which is the one you just knit the first section of stitches onto! The reason you need to slip the on-hold stitches onto the left needle starting from this point is so that the tip of the left needle will eventually end up right next to the tip of the right needle so that you can keep knitting.
I hope this helps clarify things, but please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Lili