1148 Sussex - Hat Knitting Pattern for Men and Women in Valley Yarns Sunderland

Pattern #1148 Sussex: Stranded Colorwork Beanie by Julie Turjoman

The Valley Yarns pattern #1148 Sussex, designed by Julie Turjoman, is a stranded colorwork beanie worked seamlessly in the round from the bottom up. This charming knitted hat is available in three sizes — Small, Medium, and Large — with finished circumferences of 18¼ (20, 21¾) inches, making it a versatile unisex accessory suitable for a wide range of wearers. The sample shown is knitted in size Medium.

What Is Being Made

The Sussex is a classic knitted beanie hat featuring a ribbed band, a stranded colorwork rise, and a solid-color upper crown. The ribbed band is intentionally long enough to be worn folded double for extra warmth, though it can also be left unfolded for a single-layer look. An optional ready-made pom pom can be added at the crown for a playful finishing touch. The result is a hat that is as functional and warm as it is visually appealing.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The hat is cast on at the brim and worked upward toward the crown, a method that gives knitters excellent control over fit and length.
• Seamless, worked in the round: The entire hat is knitted in the round on 16-inch circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and producing a smooth, professional finish.
• Stranded colorwork: The rise of the hat features a two-color stranded colorwork chart, where both the main color (MC) and contrast color (CC) are carried across each round. This technique creates a fabric with two layers of yarn, adding warmth and structure.
• Crown shaping with double-pointed needles (dpns): As stitches are decreased at the crown, knitters switch from circular needles to double-pointed needles to comfortably manage the reduced stitch count.
• Old Norwegian Cast-On: The pattern specifies this stretchy cast-on method for the ribbed band, worked in the contrast color to add a subtle pop of color at the brim edge. A video tutorial is referenced in the pattern notes.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing: The band is worked in a ribbed stitch pattern, creating a snug, stretchy fit that keeps the hat securely in place.
• Stockinette stitch: The upper crown is worked in single-color stockinette, providing a clean, smooth surface that contrasts beautifully with the colorwork section below.
• Stranded colorwork pattern: The rise is worked following a two-color chart, creating a decorative motif using the MC and CC in alternating sequences across each round.
• Crown decrease rounds: Standard decrease stitches are used to shape the top of the hat, tapering the fabric neatly to the crown.

Yarn and Materials

The Sussex hat is knitted in Valley Yarns Sunderland, a luxuriously soft 100% baby alpaca yarn in a DK weight, sold in 50g/109-yard balls. The pattern calls for:

• Main Color (MC): 2 balls of Valley Yarns Sunderland in Winter Sky
• Contrast Color (CC): 1 ball of Valley Yarns Sunderland in Navy

Baby alpaca is prized for its exceptional softness, natural warmth, and subtle sheen, making it an ideal fiber for a hat that sits close to the face and head. The Winter Sky and Navy colorway pairing creates a classic, timeless look well-suited to both men and women.

Needles and Notions

• US size 5 (3.75 mm) 16-inch circular needles and double-pointed needles for the main fabric and crown
• US size 6 (4.00 mm) 16-inch circular needles, if needed, to maintain gauge over the stranded colorwork section — a common adjustment since carrying two strands can tighten the fabric