Diamond Pattern Hat

Free Hat Knitting Pattern

I received a gift of a couple of skeins of Qiviut yarn. For those who might be unfamiliar with it, Qiviut comes from the muskox, an animal that lives in the frigid climate of northern Alaska and Canada. The fibres are super soft, super warm, super strong... and very expensive. So I knew I had to make a special pattern with it. The result is this Diamond Pattern Hat (and there's a matching scarf!)

The hat is worked in-the-round, seamless, in a two-color Diamond pattern.

Finished Size: head circumference 21" (54 cm). The depth of the hat is 7”, if you want a deeper hat, repeat the diamond pattern rounds 1-2 more times.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing
- Decreasing
-Working in the round on double pointed needles or circular needles with magic loop technique

Materials: Oomingmak Qiviut 100% Qiviut worsted weight yarn 120 yards (110 meters) / 56 gr - 0.5 skein (color A)
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn, color Fedora 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 gr - 1 skein (color B)

Needles: US#4 (3.5 mm) and US#5 (3.75 mm) circular needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.
US #5 (3.75 mm) dpn are recommended.

Gauge for Diamond pattern on needles US # 5 (3.75 mm): 15 sts x 30 rounds = 4" x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm)

Notions:
- Stitch marker, yarn needle

Abbreviations:
dpn – double pointed needles
K – knit
P – purl
St – stitch
Sts – stitches
k2tog – knit 2 sts together
sl - slip
wyib - with yarn in the back
m1 – make one increase - I used the increase described by Elizabeth Zimmerman: make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit it as a regular stitch.

Pattern Notes:

1x1 Rib Pattern in rounds: multiple of 2
All rounds: *p1, k1 rep from * across the round.

Diamond pattern in round: multiple of 2 + 1
Round 1 with color A: knit.
Round 2 with color B: k1, *sl 1 wyib (with yarn in the back), k 1 - repeat from * across the round.
Round 3 with color A: knit.
Round 4 with color B: k1, *k 1, sl 1 wyib - repeat from * across the round.


Hat

The hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, seamlessly. The brim is worked in color B on US # 4 circular needles in a 1x1 Rib pattern. The main part of the hat is worked in 2 colors on US #5 circular needles in the Diamond pattern. The crown is worked in color B, on US # 5 circular needles using the magic loop technique, or double pointed needles (dpn).

Directions (you can follow the text or the chart below):

With color B, cast on 80 sts on US #4 needles, join and continue to work in rounds, take care not to twist the sts. Place a marker at the beginning of the round, slip the marker while working.

Work 8 rounds in 1x1 Rib pattern:

Round 1: *P1, k1 repeat from * 40 times. (=80 sts)

Repeat round 1 eight times.

Round 9 (increase round): *P1, k1 repeat from * 39 times, to last 2 sts, p1, m1, k1. (=81 sts)

Round 10: *P1, k1 repeat from * 39 times, p1, k2.

Change to US #5 needles (3.75 mm) and work Diamond pattern for 38 rounds.

Round 11 with color A : Knit.

Round 12 (with color B): *K1, sl 1 – repeat from * 40 times, k1.

Round 13 (with color A): Knit.

Round 14 (with color B): K2, *sl 1, k1 – repeat from * 39 times, sl 1.

Repeat rounds 11-14 seven or eight times. Cut color A yarn. Continue with color B.


Shaping the Crown:

Round 39 (decrease round) : k2tog, k 79.(= 80 sts)

Round 40: *P1, k1 – repeat from * 40 times.

Round 41 (decrease round): *(P1, k1) 3 times, k2tog, repeat from * 10 times. (=70 sts)

Rounds 42 - 43: *(P1, k1) twice 2, p1, k2 repeat from* 10 times.

Round 44 (decrease round): *(P1, k1) twice, p1, k2tog, repeat from * 10 times. (=60 sts)

Rounds 45 - 46: *P1, k1- repeat from * 30 times.

Round 47 (decrease round): *(P1, k1) twice, k2tog, repeat from * 10 times. (=50 sts)

Round 48: *P1, k1, p1, k2, repeat from * 10 times.

Round 49 (decrease round): *P1, k1, p1, k2tog, repeat from * 10 times. (=40 sts)

Round 50: *P1, k1, repeat from * 20 times.

Round 51 (decrease round): *P1, k1, k2tog, repeat from * 10 times. (=30 sts)

Round 52 (decrease round): *P1, k2tog, repeat from * 10 times. (=20 sts)

Round 53 (decrease round): K2tog ten times. (=10 sts)

Cut yarn, leaving a 10" (25 cm) tail. Pull through all the remaining sts and secure.


Finishing

Weave in all yarn ends.

Pattern was updated on August 13, 2018

Click chart to enlarge