Trees and Diamonds

Trees and Diamonds Hat by Kate Harvie

What is Being Made

The Trees and Diamonds Hat is a knitted hat designed to fit an average head with a brim circumference of approximately 18 inches unstretched. This is a one-size design that combines colorwork patterning with shaping techniques to create a finished garment suitable for everyday wear.

Craft and Construction Method

This is an advanced knitting project worked in the round using stranded colorwork techniques. The hat is constructed from the middle outward, allowing for controlled shaping and pattern placement. Knitting in the round eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless, professional finish typical of hat construction.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stranded colorwork – Multiple yarn colors are carried across rounds to create the Trees and Diamonds pattern, requiring careful tension management and color changes
• Centred double decrease – A shaping technique executed by slipping two stitches together knitwise, knitting the next stitch, and passing the slipped stitches over; used to create tapered shaping
• Knitting in the round – Worked on circular needles to create a seamless tubular fabric

Yarn and Materials

This hat is knitted using KDD Buachaille yarn, a DK weight yarn in multiple colorways. The color palette includes ptarmigan, Macallum, Hedder, Highland Coo, Yaffle, Islay, Between Weathers, and Haar. Approximate yardage used includes 20g of ptarmigan (the primary color), 6g each of Macallum, Highland Coo, Yaffle, and Islay, approximately 15g of Haar and Between Weathers, and a small quantity of Hedder. The hat is worked on 3.5mm needles to achieve the required tension.

Tension and Gauge

The recommended tension is 6 stitches and 6.5 rows per inch over stranded colorwork in the round. This gauge was achieved using 3.5mm needles with KDD Buachaille yarn. The designer notes that this tension was consistent with previous projects using the same yarn and needle size, demonstrating the importance of yarn and needle pairing for achieving proper fit.

Difficulty Level

This is an advanced knitting project suitable for experienced knitters. The combination of stranded colorwork, multiple color changes, and shaping techniques requires solid foundational skills and the ability to manage tension across color changes while maintaining consistent stitch quality.