Evergreen Toque

Evergreen Toque: Super Bulky Stranded Colorwork Knit Hat

What Is Being Made

The Evergreen Toque is a knitted winter hat designed by Mindy McGehee-Cox of McGehee Textiles. This intermediate-level knitting project is available in two sizes: a toddler size fitting 15-16" head circumference and an adult size fitting 20-21" head circumference. The pattern is part of a series of three colorwork hats specifically designed for gift knitting, making it an ideal project for creating handmade presents efficiently.

Project Scope and Timeline

The Evergreen Toque is a relatively quick knitting project due to its super bulky yarn weight. The toddler size can be completed in approximately one hour, while the adult size requires 2-3 hours of knitting time. This makes the pattern particularly appealing for knitters seeking to create finished, wearable gifts without extensive time investment.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs stranded colorwork as its primary decorative technique. Stranded colorwork, also called Fair Isle knitting, involves carrying two colors of yarn across the back of the work while knitting with the active color, creating a patterned fabric with excellent insulation properties. The combination of stranded colorwork with super bulky yarn creates additional warmth and visual interest in the finished toque.

The pattern utilizes circular knitting construction, which eliminates seaming and creates seamless, tubular fabric. Knitters begin with 16-inch circular needles and transition to double-pointed needles (DPNs) or the magic loop method when the decreasing stitches no longer comfortably fit on the circular needle.

Stitches and Abbreviations

The Evergreen Toque uses fundamental knitting stitches appropriate for its intermediate difficulty level:

• Knit (K): The basic knit stitch forms the primary fabric structure
• Purl (P): Purl stitches create texture and pattern variation
• K2tog (knit two stitches together): This decrease stitch shapes the crown of the hat, reducing stitch count gradually for a fitted finish

The pattern references main color (MC) and contrast color (CC) abbreviations throughout, directing knitters to alternate between two yarns during the stranded colorwork sections. Standard abbreviations include st/sts for stitch/stitches and CO for cast on.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Evergreen Toque is constructed from super bulky (weight 6) yarn, which creates a dense, warm fabric ideal for winter wear. The pattern requires two contrasting colors: 60 yards of main color yarn and 30 yards of contrast color yarn. The designer used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Fisherman (main color) and Kale (contrast color), providing specific yarn recommendations that offer both durability and the color contrast necessary for the stranded colorwork pattern.

Needle requirements include US size 11 (8mm) circular needles for the ribbed cuff or initial cast-on, and US size 13 (9mm) circular needles for the main colorwork pattern. Both needles should be 16-inch circular needles. As the crown shaping progresses and stitches decrease, knitters transition to double-pointed needles or employ the magic loop technique to continue working in the round with fewer stitches.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 10 stitches and 14 rows equaling 4 inches when worked in stockinette stitch using the stranded colorwork pattern on the larger (US 13) needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished hat circumference and ensuring the hat fits appropriately in either the toddler or adult size.

Skill Level Considerations

Rated as an intermediate knitting project, the Evergreen Toque assumes knitters are comfortable with basic stitches, circular knitting, and transitioning between needle types. The stranded colorwork technique adds complexity beyond beginner patterns, requiring knitters to manage two yarn colors simultaneously and maintain even tension across color changes. However, the super bulky yarn weight makes tension less critical than finer yarns, and the relatively short project timeline makes it an excellent choice for knitters developing colorwork skills.