Barn elms

Barn Elms Hat by Katya Frankel

What Is Being Made

Barn Elms is a unisex knitted hat designed by Katya Frankel and inspired by a row of trees dappled by autumnal sunshine. The hat features creative crown shaping reminiscent of tree rings, making it both a visually interesting and wearable accessory. Available in four sizes to fit head circumferences from 17 ½ inches to 24 inches, this design works equally well for men and women. The finished hat measures between 9 and 11 inches in length depending on size chosen.

Techniques and Stitches Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs fundamental knitting techniques suitable for advanced beginners and experienced knitters alike. The primary techniques include knitting in the round, which creates a seamless, tubular fabric ideal for hat construction. The pattern incorporates knit and purl stitches to build the stitch pattern, and crown shaping that mimics the natural rings of a tree trunk. Simple finishing techniques complete the project, making it an excellent travel-friendly knitting pattern that doesn't require complex colorwork or intricate stitch patterns.

Yarn and Materials

Barn Elms is designed using Malabrigo Merino Worsted, a 100% Merino wool yarn available in the colorway #135 Emerald. The pattern requires approximately 210 yards (192 meters) per 100-gram skein, with only one skein needed to complete any size. The kettle-dyed nature of this yarn beautifully recreates the dappled effect of autumn sunshine filtering through leaves. Knitters may substitute any worsted weight yarn of similar yardage and fiber content.

Needles and Gauge

This pattern calls for 5 mm (US 8) circular needles measuring 16 inches long, along with a set of double pointed needles in the same size for the crown decreases. The stitch gauge is 18 stitches and 26 rounds over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when worked in the stitch pattern using the specified needle size. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements.

Finished Measurements

• Size 1: Brim circumference 15 ½ inches (39 cm); finished length 9 inches (22.5 cm); fits 17 ½ inch (44.5 cm) head
• Size 2: Brim circumference 17 ¾ inches (44.5 cm); finished length 9 ¾ inches (25 cm); fits 20 inch (51 cm) head
• Size 3: Brim circumference 20 inches (50 cm); finished length 10 ¼ inches (26 cm); fits 22 inch (56 cm) head
• Size 4: Brim circumference 22 ¼ inches (55.5 cm); finished length 11 inches (28 cm); fits 24 inch (61 cm) head

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, Barn Elms is well-suited for knitters with foundational skills in circular knitting and basic stitch techniques. The pattern is also noted as suitable for advanced beginners, making it an excellent project for those ready to expand their knitting repertoire beyond flat pieces and simple in-the-round projects.