Purple Rain Hat

Purple Rain Hat by MsYarn Designs

What is Being Made

The Purple Rain Hat is an advanced-level knitted hat designed by Dawn Hansen of MsYarn Designs. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a finished hat with an unstretched circumference of 20" or 22", making it suitable for average to larger adult head sizes. The hat features a striking colorwork design that incorporates three distinct yarn colors to create visual interest and depth in the finished garment.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate to advanced knitting techniques that make it appropriate for experienced crafters. The primary construction method involves knitting in the round, which creates a seamless, tubular fabric ideal for hat construction. The pattern utilizes colorwork knitting, a technique where multiple yarn colors are worked into the same row or round to create a patterned design. The colorwork pattern is worked from a provided chart, requiring knitters to follow visual instructions while managing multiple colors simultaneously. Additionally, the pattern includes decreasing stitches using the K2tog (knit two together) technique to shape the crown of the hat as it progresses toward completion.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The Purple Rain Hat pattern relies on fundamental knitting stitches combined with colorwork techniques. The primary stitch used throughout the pattern is the knit stitch, worked in the round to create stockinette stitch fabric. The pattern incorporates K2tog (knit two stitches together), a basic decrease stitch used to reduce the stitch count and shape the hat's crown. Stitch markers are used to denote the beginning of each round and help maintain pattern accuracy during colorwork sections. The pattern is constructed by casting on 140 stitches and working in joined rounds, with stitches distributed across double-pointed needles.

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Notions

The Purple Rain Hat pattern calls for Blue Moon Socks That Rock Mediumweight yarn in sport weight, a high-quality superwash merino wool blend commonly used for sock and hat projects. The pattern requires three coordinating colorways: C1 in 'Aubergenius' (a blue shade), C2 in 'Bleck' (a dark color), and C3 in 'Smoke on the Water' (a gray or neutral tone). One skein of each color is sufficient to complete either size of the hat. The pattern is worked on US 2 (2.75mm) double-pointed needles, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge of 28 stitches and 32 rows per 4 inches in the colorwork pattern (or 26 stitches and 30 rows for the larger size). Additional notions required include a stitch marker, waste yarn for provisional cast-on or stitch holding, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends upon completion.

Pattern Details and Gauge

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this advanced pattern, as the colorwork design and fitted crown shaping depend on accurate stitch and row gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 28 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (or 26 stitches and 30 rows for the larger size) when worked in the colorwork pattern using the specified yarn and needles. The pattern begins with a cast-on of 140 stitches divided among double-pointed needles and joined into a round. The colorwork chart guides the placement of the three colors throughout the pattern, creating the distinctive Purple Rain design. Decreases using K2tog shape the hat as it progresses, ultimately creating a fitted crown.