Reindeer Hat

Reindeer Hat by TLCrafts and Design

Project Overview

The Reindeer Hat is an intermediate-level knitted hat design by independent designer TLCrafts and Design. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a festive, colorwork hat featuring reindeer motifs, suitable for knitters with some experience in garment construction and color work techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a fitted knit hat designed to accommodate three different head sizes: Small (18" circumference), Medium (21" circumference), and Large (23" circumference). The finished brim measures 15.5" unstretched for Small, 17.5" for Medium, and 20" for Large, creating a hat that sits snugly on the head with gentle stretch from the superwash merino wool fiber content.

Yarn and Materials

The Reindeer Hat pattern calls for The Periwinkle Sheep Merino Aran yarn, a 100% superwash merino wool in aran weight. The pattern requires two skeins total, with one skein in the H.R.H. colorway (Color A) and one skein in the Stones Dancing in the Fog colorway (Color B). Each skein provides 180 yards per 100 grams, offering sufficient yardage for all three sizes within the pattern.

Needles and Tools

The pattern uses two different needle sizes to create distinct fabric characteristics in different sections of the hat. The brim is worked on US 7 / 4.5 mm needles, while the body and decreases are worked on US 8 / 5 mm needles. Knitters have flexibility in needle configuration options:

• 40" circular needles using the magic loop method
• 16" circular needles
• Double-pointed needles (DPNs)

The pattern designer notes that a 40" circular needle with magic loop is the preferred method, though switching to double-pointed needles as the hat decreases and becomes smaller is often easier for many knitters. Additional tools required include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and an optional stitch marker for tracking pattern repeats.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Reindeer Hat employs fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for intermediate-level crafters. The brim is constructed using ribbing, which creates vertical columns of texture that provide stretch and recovery, helping the hat maintain its fitted shape around the head. The main body of the hat is worked in stockinette stitch, a smooth, classic knit fabric that serves as the base for colorwork.

The hat incorporates colorwork techniques to create the reindeer motifs, requiring knitters to manage two yarn colors within rounds. The pattern includes decreases in the upper portion of the hat to shape the crown and create the proper fit. Knitters will work in the round throughout the project, a technique that eliminates the need for seaming and creates seamless, professional-looking garments.

Gauge and Sizing

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this pattern. The ribbing section should measure 20 stitches and 22 rounds per 4 inches on US 7 needles, while the stockinette body should measure 18 stitches and 22 rounds per 4 inches on US 8 needles. The pattern provides three finished sizes to accommodate various head measurements, allowing knitters to select the appropriate size before beginning.

Pattern copyright 2020 TLCrafts and Design. All Rights Reserved.