Soft ridge hat

Soft Ridge Hat by Katya Frankel

What is Being Made

The Soft Ridge is a beret-style knitted hat featuring a wide brim and distinctive eyelet and ridge detailing. This downloadable knitting pattern produces a finished brim circumference of 16 ¾ (19 ¼, 21 ½) inches / 42.5 (49, 54.5) cm, designed to fit head circumferences of 19 (21, 23) inches / 48.5 (53.5, 58.5) cm across three size options. The hat showcases concentric circles running through the hat's body and crown, creating visual interest and texture.

Techniques and Construction

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several fundamental techniques suitable for knitters with basic experience. The pattern requires working in the round, which creates seamless construction typical of hat knitting. Key techniques include knit and purl stitches, yarn overs for the eyelet details, and simple increases and decreases for shaping. Finishing techniques are also part of the pattern requirements, ensuring a polished final product.

Stitches Used

• Stocking Stitch – The primary stitch used throughout the hat's construction, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Ridge Pattern – A textured stitch pattern that creates the distinctive ridged appearance referenced in the hat's name
• Yarn Overs – Decorative increases that form the eyelet details visible on the finished hat
• Increases and Decreases – Simple shaping techniques used to form the beret silhouette and crown shaping

Materials

Yarn: The pattern calls for Artesano DK, a 100% Superfine Alpaca yarn in colorway #C743 Fern. The yardage requirement is 1 (2, 2) balls, providing approximately 109 yards / 100 meters for the smallest size, with larger sizes requiring 110–130 yards / 110–120 meters respectively. Substitutions are permitted using approximately 100 (110, 130) yards / 90 (110, 120) meters of any DK weight yarn that knits to the specified gauge.

Needles and Notions: Construction requires 3.5 mm (US 4) double pointed needles or a short circular needle for the ribbed cuff and initial rounds, and 4 mm (US 6) short circular needles for the main body. Additional notions include a stitch marker for tracking round progression and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends during finishing.

Gauge and Sizing

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this pattern. The specified gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rounds per 4 inches / 10 cm in Stocking Stitch using 4 mm (US 6) needles, and 20 stitches and 32 rounds per 4 inches / 10 cm in the Ridge pattern. Knitters should adjust needle size as needed to match these gauge requirements, ensuring the finished hat fits correctly.