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Classic Ribbed Hat in Nigh Aran
A classic among classics, we updated our Classic Ribbed Hat pattern so you can make our most popular hat of all time in brand-new Nigh Aran, our sumptuously soft, decadently plush 100% cashmere yarn!
It’s the same beginner-friendly hat you love, with its perfect not-too-round and not-too-pointy spiral crown, but now, in addition to the original DK-weight Classic Ribbed Hat version in Cashmere Merino Bloom, you can knit it in the 100% cashmere yarn every knitter dreams of, generous and indulgent yet light enough to float. The Classic Ribbed Hat in Nigh Aran is unbelievably soft and squishy, a perfect quick gift knit or a very special treat for yourself!
Made with 100% finest Mongolian cashmere, Nigh Aran is heavenly in your hands, on your needles, and on your head. Even softer than you can imagine, toasty warm, and glowing with a plush halo, it is cashmere at its most extraordinary and irresistible!
Nigh Aran is – you guessed it – an aran-weight yarn, meaning that it’s on the thicker end of worsted weight and, in this case, can even veer a bit into chunky weight. Its many fine plies lend strength and durability to the naturally delicate cashmere fiber, while also making the yarn lofty enough to feel surprisingly light in your hands.
With sizes for babies through adults and a palette of 13 timeless colors to choose from, the Classic Ribbed Hat in Nigh Aran is a truly special way to give the gift of cashmere to all your favorite people (including yourself!).
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 originally designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton, and updated by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover.
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
- 1 (2, 2, 2) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Nigh Aran, 100% cashmere. Each skein is 100 yards/ 55 grams; approximately 98 (131, 165, 200) total yards required.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles OR US 5, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
- If using 12- or 16-inch circular needles: A set of US 5 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
We knit our samples in the following sizes and colors…
- BABY: Silver Poplar
- TODDLER/KID: Wren Feather
- ADULT SMALL: Beech Wood, Flannel Suit, and Ocean Storm
GAUGE
24 stitches and 29 rounds = 4 inches in 1×1 rib, unstretched
SIZES
For help choosing a hat size, check out our complete guide on How to Knit the Right Hat Size!
Baby (Toddler/Kid, Adult Small, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference (unstretched): 12 (14, 16, 18) inches, comfortably stretching to approximately 14–16 (16–19, 19–22, 22–25) inches
- Finished Height (uncuffed): Approximately 9 (10¼, 11¼, 12¼) inches
PATTERN
BEGIN
Cast 72 (84, 96, 108) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 6½ (7¼, 7¾, 8¼) inches from cast-on edge.
CROWN
NOTE: If using 12- or 16-inch circular needles, change to double pointed needles when necessary.
Set-Up Round: Remove unique end-of-round marker, k1, replace marker for new end of round, [(p1, k1) 6 (7, 8, 9) times, place marker] 6 times, omitting final stitch marker. [6 stitch markers placed, including unique end-of-round marker]
Round 1: [*P1, k1, repeat from * to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), slip marker (sm)] 6 times. [6 stitches decreased]
Round 2: [*P1, k1, repeat from * to 1 stitch before next marker, k1, sm] 6 times.
Round 3: [*P1, k1, repeat from * to 3 stitches before next marker, p1, k2tog, sm] 6 times. [6 stitches decreased]
Round 4: *P1, k1, repeat from * to end of round, slipping markers as you come to them.
Repeat Rounds 1–4 two (3, 4, 5) more time(s). [36 stitches remain]
Repeat Round 1 one more time. [30 stitches remain]
Next Round: [P1, k1, p1, k2tog, sm] 6 times. [24 stitches remain]
Next Round: [P1, k1, k2tog] 6 times. [18 stitches remain]
Next Round: [P1, k2tog] 6 times. [12 stitches decreased]
Next Round: [K2tog] 6 times. [6 stitches remain]
Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Thread tail through remaining stitches. Pull taut and bring tail to inside of hat to weave in.
FINISHING
Weave in the ends and block as desired.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Nigh Aran + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Cast on for this project with Nigh Aran, made with the most exquisite, amazingly soft 100% Mongolian cashmere you can imagine! This generous aran-weight yarn has a buoyant multi-ply structure and knits into a beautiful, even fabric with a lush halo that floats above the fabric’s surface, a distinctive characteristic of fine cashmere yarns. Knitting with Nigh Aran is a very special pleasure… Try it!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of free Nigh Aran knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn (What does worsted-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to worsted-weight yarn will answer your questions and more.)
- 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 and our Yarn Substitution article for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop cashmere yarn (What makes cashmere so special? Learn all about this amazing fiber in our guide to cashmere yarn!)
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of 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!
My wish has come true! Purl Soho cashmere in Aran weight. Now just hope for some more vivid colors in the future….
Thank you!
Hi Natalie,
We’re so thrilled you’re excited about Nigh Aran! Thank you for your kind words and interest in more colors of this yarn. We take your feedback to heart and really appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us!
Kindly,
Cat
Thank you so much for the kind reply! Gosh I feel like I should have included that I do appreciate all the subdued tones (they’re actually right up my usual alley!) and would love to make something with almost any of those colors. And if in the future you introduce some more of the bright Purl Soho colors, I would be really excited for those, too!
Is there a crochet version of this?
Hi Lori,
We’re so glad the Classic Ribbed Hat caught your eye! We don’t have a crochet version of this hat, but I’ll pass the suggestion on to our design team for future ideas. We’re always happy to hear your feedback!
All the best,
Allison
Yarn looks gorgeous, but a $132 hat?!
Hi S,
Thank you for writing in! We totally understand how surprising the cost for this project may seem (especially for something so small), but we promise our pricing was made with special consideration and respect for this yarn, so we wanted to give you an idea of why we priced it the way we did.
Yarn is sold by the gram and cashmere is one of the most expensive fibers in the world, so a yarn made out of 100% cashmere in a heavy worsted/aran weight is always going to be on the higher end! We recommend it as a special treat for yourself or a gift to someone you love, but if you’d prefer a yarn that is still amazingly soft (with a much lower price point), you can make it with just as much care by using our 100% merino fibers such as Plenty instead.
I hope this helps you decide on a yarn for your next project but we’d always be happy to make further yarn recommendations!
All the best,
Gavriella
I really love 💕😘😘 this, and I can give you a quick suggestion on this your knitting, that you can put the video 📷📷 and then make it slow
Hi!
Thanks for writing in! We’re so glad you love our Classic Ribbed Hat in Nigh Aran.
We have lots of video tutorials if you’d like to check them out! If you’re looking for a video for a particular technique, let us know and we can help you find it.
We hope this helps!
All the best,
Allison
Can this be made in your daily worsted?
Hi Alexis,
Thank you for writing in! Daily Wool Worsted is a bit thinner than this yarn but it could definitely work. We’d recommend knitting a gauge swatch before starting just to check your tension though. If your gauge is resulting in less stitches than recommended in the pattern but you are happy with the fabric, you can make a larger size! Please let us know if there is anything else we can answer for you!
All the best,
Gavriella
Would working this hat in double twisted rib affect the stretch or drape too much?
Hi Jean,
Thank you for writing in! Double twisted rib creates a slightly denser fabric so I’d recommend going up a needle size or hat size to accommodate for the addition negative ease the stitch will create in the fabric. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella