Helmet and Hats in Hayfield Chunky with Wool - 7380 - Downloadable PDF

Hayfield Chunky with Wool 7380 – Helmet and Hats Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

This downloadable PDF from Hayfield is a one-size knitting pattern designed to fit an average adult woman's head. It includes four distinct hat designs, each worked in Hayfield Chunky with Wool yarn: the Tea Bag Hat, the Helmet, the Plain Pull-on Hat, and the Slouchy Pull-on Hat. All four projects are beginner-to-intermediate level and make excellent quick knits thanks to the chunky weight yarn and larger needle sizes involved.

Materials and Yarn

Each design requires just one 100g ball of Hayfield Chunky with Wool, making these patterns economical and ideal for using up a single skein. The four colourways specified in the pattern are:

• Tea Bag Hat – shade 690
• Helmet – shade 691
• Plain Pull-on Hat – shade 701
• Slouchy Pull-on Hat – shade 696

The yarn amounts are based on average requirements when the stated tension and specified yarn are used. You will need one pair of 6½mm (UK3 / USA 10.5) knitting needles and one pair of 5½mm (UK5 / USA 9) knitting needles. The Tea Bag Hat additionally requires a cable needle, and the Helmet requires stitch holders.

Tension

Two tension specifications are given depending on the design being worked:

• Stocking stitch tension (used for most hats): 14 stitches and 19 rows to 10cm (4 inches) on 6½mm needles.
• Pattern tension (used for the Helmet): 14 stitches and 26 rows to 10cm (4 inches) on 5½mm needles.

As with all knitting patterns, checking your tension swatch before beginning is strongly recommended. If you have fewer stitches than stated, switch to a thinner needle; if you have more stitches, switch to a thicker needle. Correct tension is essential to achieve the correct fit.

The Tea Bag Hat

The Tea Bag Hat is the most textured of the four designs, featuring a central cable panel flanked by sections of stocking stitch and ribbing. It is cast on using the thumb method with 5½mm needles and begins with a 1x1 rib (knit 1, purl 1) border worked over multiple rows to create a neat, stretchy brim.

The main body of the hat incorporates a repeating eight-row cable pattern. The cable stitches used are:

• C6B – slip next 3 stitches to the back on a cable needle, knit 3, then knit 3 from the cable needle, creating a right-leaning cable twist.
• C6F – slip next 3 stitches to the front on a cable needle, knit 3, then knit 3 from the cable needle, creating a left-leaning cable twist.

These two cable crosses are worked together in the same row to produce a bold, decorative rope or plait effect at the centre of the hat. The surrounding stitches are worked in a combination of knit and purl to frame the cable neatly. The hat is worked to approximately 31cm (12 inches) in length before casting off in pattern, giving it the distinctive slouchy, gathered shape that gives the design its name.

The Helmet

The Helmet is a practical, cosy design that covers the ears and the back of the neck, making it ideal for cold-weather wear. It is worked on 5½mm needles throughout and uses a different tension to the other hats in the set — 14 stitches and 26 rows to 10cm — reflecting its denser, more structured fabric.

The construction includes ear flaps worked separately using