Mixed Rib Hat

Totally charming, fun to knit, and a fantastic fit, too… Our Mixed Rib Hat, designed by Tayler Harris, proves that twice the ribbing is twice as nice!

With 2×2 ribbing for the cuff and 5×3 for the body, this hat has the wonderful ability to stretch and bounce back, so whether you’re casting on for a gift or just want your knit to fit really well, you’re going to love what this hat can do!

Part math and part magic, ribbing is incredible. By simply alternating columns of knits with columns of purls, you create a fabric with enormous resilience.

The more compact the ribbing, the more hugging power it has, so the knit 2 x purl 2 for the cuff is just what you need to keep your hat on. The knit 5 x purl 3 ribbing provides, yes, a bit of stretch but, also, a nice visual shift from the cuff to rest of the hat.

Fifty percent highland wool and 50% alpaca in a light and airy spin, our Yonder brings out the beauty of all this ribbing! The wool contributes bounce of its own, and the alpaca adds luster and depth to this lovely knit. Whether you pick from Yonder’s four undyed neutrals or the earthy hues dyed over them, you’ll love how this fiber mix mixes with your Mixed Rib Hat!

If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!

Designed for Purl Soho by Tayler Harris. Based in Utah, Tayler finds inspiration for her designs from the unique landscapes of her home state. From the beautiful mountains and canyons to the national parks and natural landscapes, she loves to incorporate the colors, textures, and shapes of her favorite places.

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

Materials

• 1 (1, 2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Yonder, 50% alpaca and 50% highland wool. Each skein of this worsted/aran weight yarn is 140 yards/100 grams; approximately 115 (140, 190, 245) total yards required. We used the colors Pink Quartz, Heirloom White, Winter Sage, and Pink Earth.
• US 6 (4 mm), 16-inch (or 12-inch for Baby size) circular needles, if working optional Tubular Cast On
• US 7 (4.5 mm), 16-inch (or 12-inch for Baby size) circular needles
• A set of US 7 double pointed needles
• A stitch marker
• A cable stitch holder

NOTE: We used every last yard for our Kid sized hat! To avoid running short, be sure to check your gauge, reuse your swatch yarn, and keep tails short. Or, consider ordering an extra skein just for swatching. If you don’t end up needing it, you can return unwound yarn for a refund within 30 days of purchase, or within 6 months for store credit. Our Return Policy has all the details!

GAUGE

28 stitches and 27 rounds = 4 inches in 5 x 3 rib on larger needles, unstretched

SIZES

Baby (Kid, Adult Small, Adult Large)

To fit actual head circumference of 13­–15 (16–18½, 19½–22, 23–26) inches

• Finished Circumference: 9¼ (11½, 13¾, 16) inches, unstretched
• Finished Height: 10 (11, 12, 13) inches, uncuffed

SAMPLES: The Pink Quartz hat is the Baby size, Heirloom White is the Kid size, Winter Sage is Adult Small, and Pink Earth is Adult Large.

PATTERN

CAST ON

Cast 64 (80, 96, 112) stitches onto either smaller or larger circular needles, depending on cast on technique you use. We used the smaller needles and a Long-Tail Tubular Cast On (beginning with a purl cast-on stitch after the beginning slipknot), but a basic Long-Tail Cast-On with the larger needles would also be beautiful. If you use the Long Tail Tubular Cast On, be sure to work the following Foundation Rows.

IF YOU USED A LONG-TAIL TUBULAR CAST ON…

Foundation Row 1: *Knit 1 through the back loop, slip 1 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 marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Foundation Round 3: *K1, slip 1 to cable stitch holder and hold at back of work, k1, p1 from cable stitch holder, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Foundation Round 4: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Switch to larger circular needles.

Move on to Cuff section.

IF YOU DID A REGULAR LONG-TAIL CAST ON OR SIMILAR…

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

Move on to Cuff section.

CUFF

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

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures approximately 4 (4½, 5, 5) inches from cast-on edge.

BODY

Round 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures approximately 8¾ (9¾, 10¾, 11¾) inches from cast-on edge.

CROWN

NOTE: Change to double pointed needles when necessary.

Decrease Round 1: K4, purl two together (p2tog), p1, *k5, p2tog, p1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1. [56 (70, 84, 98) stitches remain]

Next Round: K4, p2, *k5, p2, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Decrease Round 2: K4, p2tog, *k5, p2tog, repeat from * to last stitch, k1. [48 (60, 72, 84) stitches remain]

Next Round: K4, p1, *k5, p1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Decrease Round 3: *K4, knit two together (k2tog), repeat from * to end of round. [40, (50, 60, 70) stitches remain]

Next Round: Knit to end of round.

Decrease Round 4: *K3, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round. [32 (40, 48, 56) stitches remain]

Next Round: Knit to end of round.

BABY + ADULT SMALL SIZES ONLY

Decrease Round 5: *Slip 4 stitches to cable stitch holder, hold cable stitch holder parallel to left needle with cable stitch holder in front (do not twist, right sides of fabric should remain facing you), [knit next stitch on cable stitch holder together with next stitch on left needle] 4 times, slip next 4 stitches to cable stitch holder, hold cable stitch holder parallel to left needle with cable stitch holder in back (do not twist, right sides of fabric should remain facing you), [knit next stitch on left needle together with next stitch on the cable stitch holder] 4 times, repeat from * 1 (-, 2, – ) more time(s). [16 (-, 24, -) stitches remain]

KID + ADULT LARGE SIZES ONLY

Decrease Round 5: *Slip 4 stitches to cable stitch holder, hold cable stitch holder parallel to left needle with cable stitch holder in back (do not twist, right sides of fabric should remain facing you), [knit next stitch on left needle together with next stitch on cable stitch holder] 4 times**, slip next 4 stitches to cable stitch holder, hold cable stitch holder parallel to left needle with cable stitch holder in front (do not twist, right sides of fabric should remain facing you), [knit next stitch on left needle together with next stitch on the cable stitch holder] 4 times, repeat from * – (1, -, 2) more time(s), then repeat from * to ** one time. [- (20, -, 28) stitches remain]

ALL SIZES

Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Draw twice through remaining stitches and pull tightly to secure.

FINISHING

Bring tail to inside of hat and weave in all ends. Gently wet block.

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!