Fox Trail Hat + Mittens

Our Fox Trail Hat + Mittens pattern invites you to wander nature’s path, its meandering cables like the tracks of forest animals across untouched snow. Cast on with our new Wild Donegal, a hearty and robust Irish tweed yarn full of untamed spirit, ready to weather whatever trails you may roam!

A very simple, graphic cable pattern makes for easy, satisfying knitting as you watch your stitches zig and zag, working either from a chart or written instructions. In the hat pattern, sized for babies through adults, a clever trick puts the right side of the cast on to the outside when you fold the brim up. The meandering tracks come together at the crown, like paths meeting at the heart of the forest.

The mittens, available in kid through adult sizes, have the same wandering cable pattern worked along their backs, with a reverse stockinette palm and a ribbed cuff that matches the hat. When you get to the thumb, you simply work a few stitches with scrap yarn and keep knitting. After you finish the rest of the mitten, you remove the scrap yarn, grab those live stitches, then knit the thumb in the round… So easy, and there are step-by-step photos right in the pattern!

Wild Donegal is a chunky-weight tweed yarn made by one of County Donegal’s last traditional mills and is spun with the same handcrafted care that has defined this region’s yarns for generations. 100% merino wool, this yarn has an appealing, earthy quality, a pleasantly toothy feel, and a firm hand that softens after washing, getting even more supple and inviting with every adventure!

Every color of Wild Donegal, including captivating Heirloom White and warm Copper Spice, is built from a heathered base flecked with contrasting speckles of fiber, known as “burrs.” These tiny bursts of color dance across each stitch, layering lively texture and a sense of storied tradition that makes every stitch wildly beautiful!

You just need a skein or two of Wild Donegal for the hat, and another skein or two for a pair of mittens, depending on the size you’re making. Forge a path with 26 wonderfully wild colors and cast on for your own Fox Trail Hat + Mittens!

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!

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

HAT

1 (2, 2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Wild Donegal, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this chunky/bulky-weight yarn is 139 yards/100 grams; approximately 95 (155, 205, 260) total yards required. We used Copper Spice and Heirloom White.
US 6 (4 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles OR 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
US 8 (5 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular needles OR 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
A set of US 8 double pointed needles, if not using Magic Loop
A cable stitch holder
Stitch markers, including one unique

MITTENS

1 (1, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Wild Donegal, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this chunky/bulky-weight yarn is 139 yards/100 grams; approximately 101 (139, 165) total yards required. We used Copper Spice and Heirloom White.
A set of US 6 (4 mm) double pointed needles OR 32-inch circular knitting needles for Magic Loop
A set of US 8 (5 mm) double pointed needles OR 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
A cable stitch holder
Stitch markers, including one unique
Smooth scrap yarn in a similar weight

NOTE: We used every last yard for the Adult Small mittens and suggest ordering an extra skein if you are making this size. 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!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: To make a Kid (Adult Small, Adult Large) hat-and-mittens set you’ll need 2 (3, 4) skeins of Wild Donegal. For the Adult Large set, keep your 4th skein unwound until you’re sure you’ll need it… It’s very close!

GAUGE

19½ stitches and 25½ rounds = 4 inches in Fox Trail Cable Pattern (see Notes) on larger needles

20 stitches and 24 rounds = 4 inches in 3×1 Rib on smaller needles

16 stitches and 25 rounds = 4 inches in reverse stockinette stitch on larger needles (for Mittens only)

SIZES

HAT

Baby (Kid, Adult Small, Adult Large)

To fit head circumference of 13–16 (17–19, 20–22, 23–25) inches

Finished Circumference: 13 (16¼,19½, 22¾) inches
Finished Height: 8 (10½,11½,12½) inches (uncuffed)
Finished Height: 6 (8½, 9½,10½) inches (cuffed)

MITTENS

Kid (Adult Small, Adult Large)

Finished Circumference: 6¾ (7¾, 8¾) inches, comfortably stretching up 1½ inches
Finished Height: 9¼ (9¾,10¾) inches

Samples: The Copper Spice set is Kid size, and the Heirloom White set is Adult Small size.

NOTES

CHARTS

NOTE: New to reading charts? Unravel the mysteries with our Reading A Chart Tutorial!

Be sure to choose the correct chart for the section you are on and the size you are making. Begin all charts in the bottom right corner and read all rows right to left for working in the round.

Because you’ll be referencing these charts throughout the pattern instructions, we highly recommend printing this PDF out.

Fox Trail Hat + Mittens Charts PDF

DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES OR MAGIC LOOP

This pattern includes instructions for working on either double pointed needles or on long circular needles, using the Magic Loop method. We have tutorials for both techniques, so just pick the approach you prefer!

NOTE: To help you decide, visit our How To Knit With Double Pointed Needles Tutorial and our Magic Loop Tutorial. You can even learn how to make both Mittens at once with our Magic Loop: Two At A Time Tutorial!

3/1 RPC + 3/1 LPC (3/1 Right + Left Purl Cross)

3/1 RPC (Right Purl Cross): Slip 1 stitch onto cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k3, then p1 from cable stitch holder.

3/1 LPC (Left Purl Cross): Slip 3 stitches onto cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, p1, then k3 from cable stitch holder.

FOX TRAIL CABLE PATTERN

NOTE: Because you’ll be referencing this cable throughout the pattern instructions, we highly recommend keeping this pattern handy (print it out, paste it into a Note on your device, take a screenshot). That way you won’t have to scroll back and forth.

(Worked over a multiple of 16 stitches)

Round 1: *P5, k3, p1, k3, p4, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: *P4, 3/1 RPC (see Notes), p1, 3/1 LPC (see Notes), p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 3: *P4, [k3, p3] 2 times, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 4: *P3, 3/1 RPC, p3, 3/1 LPC, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 5: *P3, k3, p5, k3, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 6: *P2, 3/1 RPC, p5, 3/1 LPC, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 7: *P2, k3, p7, k3, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 8: *P1, 3/1 RPC, p7, 3/1 LPC, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 9: *P1, k3, p9, k3, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 10: *P1, 3/1 LPC, p7, 3/1 RPC, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 11: *P2, k3, p7, k3, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 12: *P2, 3/1 LPC, p5, 3/1 RPC, p1, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 13: *P3, k3, p5, k3, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 14: *P3, 3/1 LPC, p3, 3/1 RPC, p2, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 15: *P4, k3, p3, k3, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 16: *P4, 3/1 LPC, p1, 3/1 RPC, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1–16 for pattern.

Each 16-stitch repeat is 3¼ inches wide, and each 16-round repeat measures 2½ inches tall.

HAT PATTERN

BRIM

Cast 64 (80, 96, 112) stitches onto smaller 12- or 16-inch circular needles or onto smaller 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop (see Notes). We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Do not join for working in the round. Turn work.

Set-Up Row (right side): *K1, p3, repeat from * to end of row. Do not turn work.

With same side facing you, place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches, and now working in the round…

Round 1: *K1, p3, repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 2¾ (2¾, 3¾, 4¾) from cast-on edge.

BODY

Change to larger circular needles.

Set-Up Round: [P5, k3, p1, k3, p4, place marker (pm)] 4 (5, 6, 7) times.

Work from Written Instructions or Chart, both below, slipping all markers as you come to them.

FOX TRAIL CABLE PATTERN: WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS