Knot Hat

Knot Hat by ElizabethV

What is Being Made

The Knot Hat is a textured knit hat designed by ElizabethV Designs, featuring a distinctive knot stitch pattern that creates dimensional, decorative knots across the crown. This advanced beginner knitting project produces a finished hat available in three sizes: Small (18" circumference), Medium (20" circumference), and Large (22" circumference). The hat is worked in the round using circular needles, making it an ideal project for knitters looking to expand their stitch repertoire and create a statement accessory.

Techniques Used

This knitting pattern employs several fundamental and intermediate techniques. The hat is constructed using circular knitting, worked in continuous rounds rather than flat pieces, which eliminates the need for seaming. The primary technique featured throughout the pattern is the knot stitch, a decorative textured stitch that creates raised, three-dimensional knots on the fabric surface. The knot stitch technique involves creating multiple stitches into a single stitch, then passing slipped stitches over a knit stitch to form the completed knot. The pattern also incorporates gauge checking, which is emphasized as essential for achieving proper fit across the three size options. Knitters will practice stitch marker placement to track pattern repeats and maintain consistency throughout the crown.

Stitches Used

The Knot Hat pattern utilizes a limited but effective stitch vocabulary. The primary stitches include:

• Knit stitch (K) – the fundamental stitch used for stockinette sections and as the base for knot construction
• Purl stitch (P) – worked into single stitches to create the multiple stitches needed for knot formation
• Slip stitch (Sl) – worked purlwise to prepare stitches for the knot completion
• Pass slipped stitches over (PSSO) – the technique used to complete the knot by passing three slipped stitches one at a time over a knit stitch

The pattern features a repeating knot stitch pattern worked over a multiple of 6 stitches, with stockinette sections (knit rounds) between knot rows to allow the textured stitches to stand out. The pattern includes offset knot placement in alternating rounds to create visual interest and balanced texture distribution across the hat.

Materials and Yarn

The Knot Hat is designed to be worked in chunky weight yarn, specifically Plymouth Yarn Encore Chunky in color 1446. This yarn blend contains 75% acrylic and 25% wool, providing durability and warmth while maintaining easy care. One skein of 100 grams (143 yards) is sufficient to complete any of the three sizes. The chunky weight yarn allows the knot stitch pattern to display prominently while keeping the project quick to complete.

Needles and Notions

The pattern calls for US 9 (5.5 mm) needles in two configurations: a 16-inch circular needle for working the main body of the hat in the round, and US 9 double-pointed needles for the crown decreases when the circumference becomes too small for the circular needle. Additional notions include a stitch marker for tracking pattern repeats and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends. The specified gauge is 16 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in the stitch pattern, making accurate gauge swatching critical for achieving the correct finished measurements.