Knotted Rib Hat in Cascade 220 Superwash Aran - A193 - Downloadable PDF

Knotted Rib Hat in Cascade 220 Superwash Aran – Pattern Summary

The Knotted Rib Hat is an intermediate-level knitted hat pattern designed by Cheryl Beckerich and published by Cascade Yarns (pattern code A193). This downloadable PDF pattern is available free of charge and delivers a beautifully textured, close-fitting hat that combines classic ribbing structure with the visual interest of a repeating cable motif — the "knotted" detail that gives the hat its name.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single knitted hat with a finished circumference of 21.25 inches unstretched. Because the fabric is worked in a cable-and-rib pattern, it has natural elasticity, allowing the hat to stretch comfortably to fit a range of adult head sizes. The overall silhouette is a classic fitted beanie, shaped through decreases at the crown to create a neat, rounded finish.

Techniques Used

The Knotted Rib Hat draws on several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques, making it an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with the basics and ready to explore cable work:

• Working in the round: The hat is knitted circularly, beginning on a 16-inch circular needle and transitioning to double point needles as the crown decreases reduce the stitch count.
• Cable knitting: The defining technique of this pattern is the c4b (cable 4 back) cross, which creates the knotted texture. This involves slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding them at the back of the work, knitting the next stitches, and then knitting the held stitches — producing a twisted, rope-like column of fabric.
• Ribbing: The cable columns are set within a ribbed framework, giving the hat its structured, form-fitting quality and contributing to the overall stretch of the finished piece.
• Crown shaping and decreases: As the hat is worked toward the top, stitches are reduced using k2tog (knit two together) and ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases, which create symmetrical, tidy shaping on either side of the decrease lines.
• Increases: The kfb (knit into the front and back) increase is also listed among the techniques, used to add stitches where the pattern requires.
• Finishing: A tapestry needle is used to weave in ends and close the crown of the hat neatly after the final stitches are bound off or gathered.

Stitches Used

The stitch vocabulary for the Knotted Rib Hat is well-suited to an intermediate knitter. The pattern uses the following stitches and techniques, all clearly defined within the abbreviations section of the PDF:

• c4b – Cable 4 back: slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, knit 2, then knit 2 from the cable needle. This is the central decorative stitch of the pattern.
• k2tog – Knit 2 stitches together; a right-leaning decrease used in crown shaping.
• ssk – Slip, slip, knit; a left-leaning decrease that mirrors k2tog for balanced crown shaping.
• kfb – Knit into the front and back of a stitch; a simple increase technique.
• Knit and purl stitches – The foundation of the ribbed sections that frame the cable columns.

Gauge

Achieving the correct gauge is important for this pattern, particularly to ensure the hat fits as intended. The specified gauge is 20.75 stitches and 24 rounds over 4 inches, measured in the cable pattern. Knitters are encouraged to swatch and adjust needle size as needed to match this gauge before casting on.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for 1 skein of Cascade 220 Superwash® Aran, a premium yarn composed of 100% Superwash Merino Wool. Each skein contains 100g (3.5