Tempest Beanie in Imperial Yarn Willamette - PC80 - Downloadable PDF

Tempest Beanie in Imperial Yarn Willamette – Knitting Pattern by Deborah Newton

The Tempest Beanie is a beautifully textured knitted hat designed by Deborah Newton and worked in Imperial Yarn Willamette, a 100% wool yarn. This intermediate-level knitting pattern offers two distinct versions — one featuring a two-color design and one worked in a single color — making it a versatile project for knitters who want to explore different aesthetic approaches within the same construction framework. The finished beanie has a brim circumference of 19 inches (48.5 cm) and a height of 9½ inches (24 cm), sized to fit one standard adult size.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a classic fitted beanie with a richly textured surface, finished with an optional large pompom at the crown. The hat is designed to be both functional and visually striking, with cabled or charted stitch patterns creating a sense of movement and depth across the body of the hat. The name Tempest evokes the dynamic, swirling quality of the stitch design, which is well-suited to the rustic, earthy character of the Imperial Yarn Willamette wool.

Pattern Versions

• Version 1 (Two-Color): Uses one hank each of a Main Color (MC) and a Contrast Color (CC). The colorway shown is #108 Tumbleweed as MC paired with #04 Charcoal as CC, creating a warm, natural contrast.
• Version 2 (Single Color): Uses two hanks of MC only. The colorway shown is #01 Natural, a clean, undyed tone that allows the stitch texture to take center stage.
• For either version, an additional hank of MC is recommended if a large pompom is desired as a finishing detail.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Imperial Yarn Willamette, a DK weight yarn sold in 56g/2oz skeins with approximately 105 yards (96 meters) per hank. The fiber content is 100% wool, which gives the finished hat excellent stitch definition, warmth, and durability. Imperial Yarn is an American mill-spun yarn, and Willamette is known for its slightly rustic, woolen-spun character that enhances the texture of cabled and charted patterns.

Needles and Notions

• US size 7 (4.5 mm) circular needle, 16 inches (40 cm) long — used for the brim ribbing or lower section
• US size 8 (5 mm) circular needle, 16 inches (40 cm) long — used for the main body of the hat; adjust as needed to obtain gauge
• Two sets of US size 8 (5 mm) double-pointed needles — used when transitioning to crown decreases where the circular needle becomes too large
• Cable needle — essential for working the cable elements of the stitch pattern
• Stitch marker — used to mark the beginning of rounds
• Tapestry needle — for weaving in ends and finishing

Techniques and Construction

The Tempest Beanie is worked entirely in the round on short circular needles, beginning at the brim and working upward toward the crown. This seamless, top-down construction approach keeps finishing work minimal and produces a clean, professional result. Key techniques used in this pattern include:

• Working in the round on 16-inch circular needles, transitioning to double-pointed needles at the crown
• Cable knitting using a cable needle to create the signature textured motifs across the hat body
• Chart reading — the main stitch pattern is presented as Chart A, requiring the knitter to follow a visual grid of symbols
• Increases using the backward loop cast-on method and M1 (Make 1) increases during a dedicated increase round to shape the hat body
• Crown sh