Winter Highway Hat

Winter Highway Hat by Ririko

What is Being Made

The Winter Highway Hat is a coordinating knit hat designed to match the Winter Highway cardigan. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a fitted winter hat with a finished head circumference of 53–57 cm (20¾–22½ inches) and a total height of 24 cm (9½ inches) from brim to crown. The hat features a structured brim and tapered crown, making it a practical and stylish cold-weather accessory.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Winter Highway Hat employs cable knitting as its primary stitch technique, incorporating a Hexa Diamond cable pattern throughout the body. This textured stitch pattern adds visual interest and dimensional depth to the hat while maintaining structural integrity.

The construction uses circular knitting methods, worked in the round from the brim upward. The pattern is designed to be worked on circular needles for the main body sections, with the option to transition to double-pointed needles (dpns) or the magic loop method when decreasing stitches at the crown. This approach allows knitters to choose their preferred technique for managing a decreasing stitch count.

The brim is created using a tubular cast-on method (with waste yarn as an optional notional aid), which produces a professional, seamless edge that lies flat and provides excellent elasticity for a comfortable fit.

Yarn and Needles

This pattern calls for DK weight yarn, requiring approximately 210 meters (230 yards) total yardage. The sample shown was knitted using Mominoki Yarn German Merino in Pure White, a 100% Merino fiber available in 220-meter (241-yard) skeins per 100 grams, meaning one skein is sufficient to complete the project.

The pattern requires two sizes of circular needles: 3.5 mm (US 4) needles in a 40 cm (16 inch) length for the brim ribbing, and 4.5 mm (US 7) needles in the same length for the main body. A set of four 4.5 mm (US 7) double-pointed needles is optional, needed only if you prefer not to use the magic loop method for the crown shaping. Cable needle, stitch markers, and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends are also required. A crochet hook is listed as optional, likely for securing cast-on edges or provisional stitches.

Gauge and Sizing

Gauge is measured over the Hexa Diamond cable pattern at 34 stitches and is checked after blocking. Knitters are advised to adjust needle sizes as necessary to obtain the correct gauge, ensuring the finished hat meets the specified measurements. The brim circumference measures 49 cm (19¼ inches), slightly smaller than the maximum head circumference, providing a snug, stay-in-place fit.