697 Inga Hat - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Colrain

697 Inga Hat – Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Colrain

The 697 Inga Hat, designed by Kirsten Hipsky, is a beautifully detailed women's knitted hat that combines intricate lace and cable stitches to create a piece with traditional, timeless charm. Published as a downloadable PDF pattern, this design is rated advanced beginner, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have mastered the basics and are ready to explore more textured stitch work. The finished hat measures 21 inches in circumference and 9 inches tall, producing a classic, well-fitted silhouette.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single knitted hat worked entirely in the round from the brim upward. The design features a richly patterned body section with an 8-round repeating stitch motif, a ribbed brim for a snug fit, and a thoughtfully shaped crown with structured decrease rounds. The result is a hat that is both functional and visually striking, suitable for wearing in cooler weather.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 2 skeins of Valley Yarns Colrain (50% Merino Wool / 50% Tencel™, 50g / 109 yards per skein) in the colorway Red Wine Heather. The Merino content provides softness and warmth, while the Tencel adds a subtle sheen and drape that enhances the lace sections beautifully after blocking.
• Yarn Weight: Worsted weight
• Needles: US size 7 (4.50mm) 16-inch circular needles for the body of the hat, plus double pointed needles (DPNs) in the same size for working the crown decreases as the stitch count reduces. Use whatever needle size is needed to achieve the correct gauge.
• Gauge: Approximately 4.5 stitches per inch in Stockinette stitch; the 19-stitch pattern repeat measures approximately 3.5 inches wide after blocking.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The hat is cast on at the brim and worked upward toward the crown, a straightforward and intuitive approach for knitters learning to shape hats.
• Seamless, worked in the round: Using circular needles and then transitioning to double pointed needles, the hat is knitted seamlessly with no seaming required at the finish.
• Cables: Cable-style movements are incorporated into the repeating stitch pattern, adding depth and structure to the fabric.
• Lace: Yarn-over increases paired with decreases create an open, lacy texture throughout the body of the hat. The lace elements are particularly enhanced by blocking, which opens up the stitches and allows the full pattern to bloom.
• Crown shaping with decreases: A series of structured decrease rounds gradually reduces the stitch count from 114 stitches down to a small number at the top, creating a smooth and well-formed crown. Knitters switch from circular to double pointed needles as the circumference decreases.

Stitches Used

• k1, p1 ribbing – worked for 1 inch at the brim to create a stretchy, fitted edge
• Yarn overs (yo) – used throughout the lace sections to create decorative eyelets and increase stitches
• sl1-k2tog-psso – a centered double decrease that forms a key visual element in the lace columns, creating a neat, symmetrical stitch reduction
• k2tog and ssk – right-leaning and left-leaning single decreases used both within the lace pattern and during crown shaping to maintain the design's symmetry
• RT (Right Twist) – a cable-style stitch that appears in round 5 of the main pattern repeat, adding a subtle twisted texture to the design
• M1 (Make 1) – used in the final ribbing round to increase from 84 cast-on stitches to 114 stitches, setting up the full 19-stitch pattern repeat
• Stockinette stitch – forms the background