Tri Bri

Tri Bri Hat by Cheryl Beckerich

What Is Being Made

The Tri Bri Hat is a brioche knit hat featuring a distinctive three-section crown design. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a finished hat with circumference options of 21, 22.5, or 24 inches to accommodate small, medium, and large sizes. The hat is constructed using the brioche stitch technique, which creates a textured, reversible fabric with excellent elasticity and visual interest.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques suitable for intermediate knitters. The hat begins with the German Twisted Cast-On method, which provides a secure and elastic foundation ideal for hat construction. The primary construction method is brioche knitting, a specialized technique that creates raised, dimensional stitches by working yarn-overs and knit stitches together in alternating rounds. The hat is worked in the round using circular needles, transitioning to double-pointed needles as the crown shaping progresses. The three-section crown design involves strategic stitch marker placement to divide the hat into distinct sections, allowing for structured shaping as stitches are decreased toward the crown.

Stitches Used

• Brioche Knit (brk1) – the primary stitch that creates the characteristic raised texture
• Brioche Purl (brp1) – the purl variation of brioche stitch for textural variation
• Slip 1 Yarn-Over (sl1yo) – slipping a stitch while bringing yarn to the front, creating the foundation for brioche stitches
• Knit (k1) – standard knit stitch used in the set-up round

Materials and Tools

The Tri Bri Hat requires one skein of Wonderland Yarns Mad Hatter yarn in the colorway Cabbages & Kings. This yarn is 100% Superwash Merino in sport weight, providing a lightweight yet warm knit suitable for hats. The skein contains 4 ounces of yarn with 344 yards of yardage, offering ample material for all three sizes. Knitters will need Size 4 US (3.5 mm) circular needles measuring 16 inches for the main body and Size 4 US (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles for the crown decreases. The pattern also calls for three stitch markers—one in a contrasting color A to mark the end of round, and two in color B to mark the section divisions—along with a tapestry needle for weaving in ends. The recommended gauge is 17 stitches over 4 inches when worked in brioche stitch.