Squall Hat

Weather every gale and gust with our Squall Hat, a wonderfully warm hemmed hat pattern knit with our beautiful new Heathland Wool. A mix of 60% fine Irish wool and 40% New Zealand wool, this hearty DK-to-worsted yarn is dyed and spun by a traditional woolen mill in Ireland’s County Donegal. The robust Irish wool comes from small family farms and has a toothy texture and a distinctly sheep-y feel, while the New Zealand wool softens the hand without compromising Heathland Wool’s rustic character… Together, pure woolly goodness!

The Squall Hat is an ideal project to get to know this timeless yarn, all simple stockinette stitch with a folded knit hem to add an extra layer of fabric over your ears for season after season of wind, weather, and wear.

The hem is easy to do, and we have a tutorial to walk you through every step. After the hem, you just knit up to the top of the hat, decreasing along six spokes for a gently rounded crown. Choose whether to make it solid or striped: the solid version takes just one skein to knit any size, or pick up a second color and you’ll have enough yarn for two striped Squall Hats with the colors swapped. One to keep and one to share!

The smooth stockinette fabric shows off every detail of Heathland Wool’s incredibly rich heathered colors, which the mill creates by artfully blending different colors of dyed fibers before spinning. The stunning Marsh Teal shown above embodies the wild beauty of Heathland Wool’s palette, drawn from the foggy moors, green fields, and sparkling waters of the yarn’s Irish home.

Choose your favorite color (or color pair) for your own Squall Hat, then relish the lively feeling of Heathland Wool on your knitting needles and the connection to Ireland’s rich wool-making heritage in every stitch!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 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, Gianna Mueller. See even more of Gianna’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

• Purl Soho’s Heathland Wool, 60% fine Irish wool and 40% New Zealand wool. Each skein of this light worsted/DK- to worsted/Aran-weight yarn is 230 yards/ 100 grams.
  • Solid Version
    • Main Color (MC): 1 skein; approximately 80 (120, 140, 175) total yards required. We used Marsh Teal.
  • Striped Version
    • Main Color (MC): 1 skein; approximately 70 (105, 125, 160) total yards required. We used Wolf Brown.
    • Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein; approximately 15 (20, 20, 25) total yards required. We used Warm Fleece.
• US 4 (3.5 mm) 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles OR US 4, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop, or size you need to get the correct gauge
• US 5 (3.75 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you’re making OR US 5, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop, or size you need to get the correct gauge
• If using short circular needles: A set of US 5 double pointed needles
• Stitch markers, including one unique

GAUGE

21 stitches and 31 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on larger needles

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)

To fit actual head circumference of 14–16½ (17–19, 19–22, 22–25) inches

• Finished Circumference: 13¾ (16, 18¼, 20½) inches
• Finished Height: 6½ (7¾, 8¼, 9½) inches

SAMPLES: We knit the Adult Small size.

NOTES

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.

For more help, visit our How To Knit With Double Pointed Needles Tutorial and our Magic Loop Tutorial.

STRIPES IN THE ROUND

If making the Striped Version, you will carry the non-working yarn up the wrong side of the work in order to avoid cutting yarns at the end of each stripe. For help with knitting stripes in the round, please visit our Stripes In The Round Tutorial!

PATTERN

CUFF

With Main Color (MC), loosely cast 72 (84, 96, 108) stitches onto larger needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

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

SOLID VERSION

Switching to smaller circular needles…

Knit every round until piece measures 1¾ (2½, 2½, 2½) inches from cast-on edge.

Switching to larger circular needles…

Knit every round until piece measures 3½ (5, 5, 5) inches from cast-on edge, then continue to Hem Cuff section.

STRIPED VERSION

Switching to smaller circular needles…

Knit every round until piece measures 1½ (2¼, 2¼, 2¼) inches from cast-on edge.

Join Contrast Color (CC).

With CC and carrying up MC (see Notes), knit two rounds.

Switching to larger circular needles…

Rounds 1–5: With MC and carrying up CC, knit to end of round.

Round 6: With CC and carrying up MC, knit to end of round.

Continue in established stripe pattern, repeating Rounds 1–6, one (2, 2, 2) more time(s), until piece measures approximately 3½ (5, 5, 5) inches from cast-on edge.

BOTH VERSIONS

NOTE: For additional help with this section, please visit our Knit Hem Tutorial.

Fold cast-on edge up inside of Cuff, aligning cast-on stitches with working stitches.

Next Round: With MC, *slip tip of left needle under purl bump right under cast-on edge in same column as next stitch, knit next stitch and picked-up stitch together, repeat from * to end of round.

BODY

Using MC for Solid Version or continuing in established stripe pattern for Striped Version, knit every round until piece measures 4 (5, 5¼, 6½) inches from folded edge of Cuff.

CROWN

NOTE: If using short circular needles, change to double pointed needles when necessary.

Using MC for Solid Version or continuing in established stripe pattern for Striped Version…

Set-Up Round: [K12 (14, 16, 18), place marker] 5 times, knit to end of round. [5 additional stitch markers placed; 6 total markers]

Decrease Round: [K1, slip slip knit (ssk), knit to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 together (k2tog), slip marker (sm)] 6 times. [12 stitches decreased]

Knit 5 rounds.

Repeat Decrease Round. [48 (60, 72, 84) stitches remain]

Knit 4 rounds.

Repeat Decrease Round. [36 (48, 60, 72) stitches remain]

Knit 3 rounds.

Repeat Decrease Round. [24 (36, 48, 60) stitches remain]

TODDLER/KID, ADULT SMALL, + ADULT LARGE SIZES ONLY

Knit 2 rounds.

Repeat Decrease Round. [- (24, 36, 48) stitches remain]

ADULT SMALL + ADULT LARGE SIZES ONLY

Knit 1 round.

Repeat Decrease Round – (-, 1, 2) more time(s). [24 stitches remain]

ALL SIZES

Knit 1 round.

Final Decrease Round: [Ssk, k2tog, sm] 6 times. [12 stitches remain]

FINISHING

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

Weave in ends and gently block.

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

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 55 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 1,000s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!