Illyria

Illyria Slouchy Beanie by Bristol Ivy

What Is Being Made

Illyria is a slouchy beanie hat designed by Bristol Ivy, featuring a distinctive asymmetrical cable panel as the primary design element. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a relaxed, comfortable hat with a modern aesthetic. The design offers four finished size options, ranging from 14 1/2 inches to 19 3/4 inches in circumference at the brim, with a consistent height of 9 1/4 inches across all sizes.

Knitting Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several fundamental and intermediate techniques. The pattern uses circular knitting in the round, which creates seamless construction and is worked on circular needles and double-pointed needles (DPNs). The asymmetrical cable panel is the focal point, requiring cable manipulation techniques where stitches are temporarily held on a cable needle while other stitches are worked, then the held stitches are completed to create the twisted, textured effect characteristic of cables. The hat is constructed using a combination of stockinette stitch for the main body and cable stitches for the decorative panel, demonstrating how different stitch patterns can be integrated within a single garment.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (st st): The primary stitch used for the main body of the beanie, created by knitting every round to produce a smooth, flat fabric with a V-pattern texture on the right side.
• Cable 2 Right (C2R): A cable technique where two stitches are slipped to a cable needle and held to the back, two stitches are knitted from the left needle, then the two held stitches are knitted. This creates a cable that twists to the right.
• Cable 2 Left (C2L): A mirror cable technique where two stitches are slipped to a cable needle and held to the front, two stitches are knitted from the left needle, then the two held stitches are knitted. This creates a cable that twists to the left.

Materials and Gauge

Illyria is designed to be worked in chunky-weight yarn, specifically using Phatastic by Skeinny Dipping, which is composed of 100% Rambouillet and Merino wool. This natural fiber blend provides warmth and elasticity ideal for a slouchy beanie. Yardage requirements are minimal, ranging from 115 yards for the smallest size to 145 yards for the largest size, requiring only 1 to 2 skeins depending on size selection. The pattern calls for two different needle sizes: a US 9 [5.25 mm] circular needle (16 inches) for the ribbed brim, and US 10 1/2 [6.5 mm] circular needles and DPNs for the main body and crown shaping. The gauge is 14 stitches and 23 rounds over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, and 22 stitches and 23 rounds over 4 inches in the cable panel, indicating a relatively loose gauge appropriate for the chunky yarn weight and the relaxed fit of the slouchy design. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping, a cable needle for managing cable stitches, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends.