Bermondsey beanie

Bermondsey Beanie by Jennie Atkinson

What is Being Made

The Bermondsey Beanie is a knitted hat designed to fit head sizes from S/M (55–58cm) to M/L (59–62cm). The finished beanie measures 48–52cm in circumference and 27–28cm in length, depending on size. This versatile hat features a distinctive deep contrast-colored facing that can be worn turned up for full color impact or left down to reveal just a subtle hint of the contrasting shade.

Techniques Used

Knitting in the round is the primary construction method for this beanie, creating a seamless, tubular fabric. The pattern employs stranded fair-isle colorwork, a traditional technique where two colors are carried across the row to create a patterned fabric. This method requires careful tension management to keep the floats (the strands of yarn carried inside the hat) even and prevent them from pulling the fabric too tightly. The two-color fair-isle pattern is described as simple, making it accessible to intermediate knitters who have experience with basic colorwork but may be newer to fair-isle techniques.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the beanie is stranded stocking stitch, which creates a smooth, classic knit fabric. Stocking stitch in the round (also called stockinette stitch) produces the characteristic V-shaped pattern that forms the base of the hat. The fair-isle patterning is worked within this stocking stitch foundation, with the two colors creating a geometric design across the rounds.

Materials

Yarn: Cascade 220 Fingering in 4ply weight (100% Peruvian Highland Wool) is used throughout. For the S/M size, 25g of main color (MC), 15g of contrast color (CC), and 17g for the facing are required; for the M/L size, these quantities increase to 30g, 20g, and 22g respectively. The sample shown uses Cascade 220 Fingering in Buff 9591 (main color), Ink Blue 1029 (contrast color), and Carrot 9680 (facing). Each 50g ball contains 250m/273 yards of yarn.

Needles and Notions: A 3mm (UK size 11/US size 3) circular needle measuring 40cm in length is used for the main body of the hat. Four 3mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) in the same size are required for the crown decreases when the stitches become too few for the circular needle. A stitch marker is needed to mark the beginning of each round.

Gauge: The pattern is worked at a tension of 36 stitches and 38 rounds over 10cm in stranded stocking stitch using 3mm circular needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the hat to fit properly and for the fair-isle colorwork to display as intended.

Design Features

The Bermondsey Beanie is designed to coordinate with the Bermondsey Mitts pattern, which uses the same yarn and features a complementary simple fair-isle design. This allows knitters to create a coordinated set using consistent colorwork and materials. The deep contrast-colored facing adds visual interest and versatility, enabling the wearer to customize the appearance by adjusting how the facing is worn.