Rock Painting Hat

Rock Painting Hat by Evvash

What Is Being Made

The Rock Painting Hat is a stranded colorwork knit hat designed by Evgeniya Vashutkina. This intermediate-level project creates a finished hat with a head circumference of either 20.8–21.6 inches (53–55 cm) for size Medium or 22–23 inches (56–58 cm) for size Large. The hat stands 8 inches (20 cm) tall in the Medium size or 8.5 inches (22 cm) in the Large size, making it a classic, close-fitting winter accessory.

Techniques and Construction

Stranded colorwork is the primary technique used throughout this hat. Stranded colorwork, also called Fair Isle knitting, involves carrying unused yarn colors inside the hat while working with the active color, creating intricate multicolored patterns without cutting the yarn. This method produces a dense, insulated fabric ideal for cold-weather wear.

The hat is worked in the round using circular needles or double-pointed needles, which allows for seamless construction. Working in the round eliminates the need for seaming and creates a smooth, professional finish. The pattern uses stockinette stitch as the base fabric, which produces the classic smooth, V-textured surface common to knit hats.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) – the primary stitch forming the stockinette base
• Purl (p) – used as needed in pattern construction
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) – a decrease stitch used for shaping, likely in the crown decreases
• Cast on (CO) – the foundation stitch to begin the hat

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This pattern calls for Drops Nepal yarn, a blend of 65% wool and 35% alpaca. Each ball contains 82 yards and weighs 1.75 ounces (50 grams). The yarn is classified as worsted weight, a medium-weight yarn that knits quickly and provides good stitch definition for colorwork.

The color palette consists of six distinct shades:

• 0100 off white – 1 ball
• 0206 light beige – 1 ball
• 0618 camel – 1 ball
• 2920 orange – 1 ball
• 0612 medium brown – 1 ball
• 8906 forest – 2 balls

The forest green color requires two balls, suggesting it appears more frequently in the stranded colorwork pattern. The warm earth tones—off white, light beige, camel, orange, and medium brown—combined with forest green create a natural, organic palette inspired by the "rock painting" theme.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern specifies US 4 (3.5 mm) circular needles measuring 16 inches (40 cm), or alternatively, US 4 (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles. Circular needles are ideal for knitting hats in the round, while double-pointed needles offer a traditional alternative, particularly useful for the final crown decreases when the stitches become too few for circular needles.

The gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows per 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch after blocking. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit, especially in a fitted hat. Blocking—the process of wetting and shaping the finished knit—helps even out stitches and set the fabric, ensuring the hat maintains its intended dimensions.

Difficulty Level

This hat is rated as an intermediate project, suitable for knitters with prior experience. The stranded colorwork technique requires managing two yarn colors simultaneously, maintaining consistent tension across color changes, and reading a colorwork chart. The in-the-round construction on circular needles or double-pointed needles adds to the intermediate skill level, as does executing crown decreases to shape the top of the hat.