344 Swirl Hat - FreeFreeKnitting Pattern for Men and Women in Valley Yarns BFL Fingering Hand-Dyed

344 Swirl Hat – Free Knitting Pattern by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns BFL Fingering Hand-Dyed

The 344 Swirl Hat is a free, downloadable knitting pattern designed by Kirsten Hipsky for Valley Yarns. Suitable for both men and women, this intermediate-level hat features a naturally spiraling stitch pattern that creates a visually striking swirl effect across the crown and body of the hat. The design is worked entirely in the round from the bottom up, making it a seamless, approachable project for knitters who are comfortable with circular needles and basic cable techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a unisex knitted hat with finished measurements of 20 inches in circumference and 9 inches tall. The swirling stitch pattern gives the hat a dynamic, textured appearance that pairs beautifully with the rich, hand-dyed colorways available in the specified yarn. The hat is designed to be warm and wearable, making it an excellent choice for cooler weather and an ideal handmade gift for any adult.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The hat begins at the brim and is worked upward toward the crown, a classic and intuitive approach for hat knitting.
• Worked in the round: The entire hat is knitted seamlessly on circular needles, transitioning to double pointed needles as the crown decreases narrow the stitch count.
• Cables: The swirl effect is achieved through a cable-based stitch pattern, which, despite its impressive visual result, is described in the pattern as surprisingly simple to execute.
• Seamless construction: There are no seams to sew, making finishing quick and straightforward.
• Two strands held together: Throughout the entire pattern, a single skein of yarn is used doubled — the recommended method is to wind the skein into a center-pull ball and draw from both the inside and the outside simultaneously, creating a two-strand fabric from one skein.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) – the foundational stitch used throughout the body and crown of the hat
• Purl (p) – used in combination with knit stitches to create ribbing on the brim and textural contrast in the stitch pattern
• Cable stitches – worked with a cable needle to create the signature swirling spiral effect across the hat
• Ribbing – used on the brim for a neat, stretchy edge that helps the hat sit securely on the head

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for one skein of Valley Yarns BFL Fingering Hand-Dyed, a luxurious 100% Blue Faced Leicester Wool yarn that comes in a generous 100g/416-yard skein. The sample shown uses the colorway Sherwood Forest, an earth-toned, rich green shade that complements the organic, swirling texture of the stitch pattern. BFL wool is prized for its softness, subtle sheen, and excellent stitch definition — qualities that make it particularly well-suited to showcasing cable and textural patterns like the one featured in this hat.

Because the yarn is held double throughout, the single skein provides ample yardage for the finished hat while creating a fabric that is warm, dense, and durable.

Needles and Notions

• US size 5 (3.75 mm) 16-inch circular needles – used for the brim ribbing
• US size 7 (4.50 mm) 16-inch circular needles – used for the main body of the hat
• US size 7 (4.50 mm) double pointed needles – used for crown shaping as the stitch count decreases
• 5 stitch markers – used to mark pattern repeats and keep the swirl sections aligned
• Cable needle (cn) – required for working the cable swirl pattern

Gauge is approximately 4½ stitches per inch in stockinette stitch using the larger needles with two strands of yarn held together. Achieving correct gauge is important