Brioche Hat in Novita Nordic Wool - Downloadable PDF

Brioche Hat in Novita Nordic Wool – Knitting Pattern Summary

This downloadable PDF pattern by designer Sisko Sälpäkivi guides knitters through creating a beautifully textured two-colour brioche hat using Novita Nordic Wool yarn. The pattern is sized for children, women, and men, making it a versatile project for knitters who want to craft handmade hats for the whole family. The finished hat features a richly dimensional ribbed and brioche fabric that is naturally stretchy, ensuring a comfortable, snug fit across a range of head sizes.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted hat worked in the round on double-pointed needles. Three distinct size options are provided:

• Children's size: approximately 52 cm / 20½ in circumference (lightly stretched)
• Women's size: approximately 56 cm / 22 in circumference (lightly stretched)
• Men's size: approximately 56 cm / 22 in circumference (lightly stretched)

The hat fabric is described as stretchy by nature, which is a hallmark of brioche knitting, meaning the finished measurements will accommodate a range of actual head circumferences comfortably.

Colour Combinations and Design Variations

One of the most appealing aspects of this pattern is the three distinct colour combination options, each tailored to a different wearer and aesthetic:

• Colour Combination I (Children): Colour 1 is Novita Nordic Wool (645) Squirrel and Colour 2 is (010) Off-white, with a small amount of (287) Saffron used for the pompom — a warm, playful palette perfect for little ones.
• Colour Combination II (Women): Colour 1 is (554) Heather and Colour 2 is (048) Rock, with a pompom worked in Novita 7 Veljestä (053) Berry Porridge — a sophisticated, muted combination with a pop of colour at the crown.
• Colour Combination III (Men): Colour 1 is (397) Fir and Colour 2 is (060) Sand — a classic, understated pairing without a pompom, giving a clean and versatile finish.

Each colour combination showcases how two-colour brioche knitting creates a striking, almost woven-looking texture by alternating yarn colours across specific rounds.

Yarn and Materials

The primary yarn specified throughout the pattern is Novita Nordic Wool, a yarn that falls within the DK, worsted, and aran weight range — making it a medium-weight choice well suited to accessories like hats. Approximately 50 g of each colour is required per hat, plus a small amount of a contrast colour for the pompom on the children's and women's versions. The women's pompom is notably worked in Novita 7 Veljestä (053) Berry Porridge, a different Novita yarn, adding a subtle textural contrast at the crown.

The recommended needles are Novita double-pointed needles in sizes 3 mm (UK 11 / US 2½) and 3½ mm (UK 9½ / US 4). Two needle sizes are used — the smaller size is typically used for the brim ribbing to create a neat, firm edge, while the larger size is used for the main brioche body of the hat. Knitters are advised to use whichever needle size is needed to achieve the correct gauge.

Techniques and Construction

This pattern is rated intermediate difficulty, making it ideal for knitters who are comfortable with basic knitting in the round and are ready to explore more advanced colourwork and stitch techniques. The construction is worked entirely in the round on double-pointed needles, from the brim upward to the crown.

Ribbing

The hat begins with a 1×1 ribbing worked in the round, using the alternating knit 1, purl 1 sequence repeated to the end of each round. This creates a stretchy, tidy brim that hugs the head neatly and transitions smoothly into the brioche body of the