966 Belvedere - Hat Knitting Pattern for Kids and Adults in Valley Yarns Northampton

Pattern 966 Belvedere: Colorwork Hat Knitting Pattern for the Whole Family by Susan Baron

The 966 Belvedere is a colorful stranded colorwork hat knitting pattern designed by Susan Baron and worked in Valley Yarns Northampton. Sized to fit everyone from young children to adults, this pattern makes an ideal holiday gift project that knitters of all household sizes can appreciate. With five sizes available and a cheerful, graphic colorwork design, the Belvedere hat is a rewarding intermediate-level knit that showcases the rich color palette available in Valley Yarns Northampton wool.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a stranded colorwork hat featuring a main color and two contrast colors, finished with an optional pompom on top. The hat is knitted in the round from the brim upward in a seamless, bottom-up construction. Five sizes are included to fit the whole family:

• XS, S, M, L, and XL, with finished circumferences of 17, 19, 21, 22, and 24 inches respectively
• The pattern sample is shown in sizes S, M, and XL, demonstrating how the colorwork scales across the size range

The finished hat features a ribbed brim worked on a smaller needle, a colorwork body section worked from a chart, and a tapered crown decrease. An optional pompom adds a playful finishing touch, and knitters working the largest size should note that an additional skein of main color yarn may be needed if making the pompom.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Valley Yarns Northampton, a 100% wool worsted weight yarn that comes in 100g skeins yielding approximately 247 yards each. Three colors are used in total — one main color (MC) and two contrast colors (CC) — with one skein of each color required for most sizes. Because Valley Yarns Northampton is available in a wide range of colors, knitters have tremendous flexibility in personalizing each hat for different recipients on their gift list.

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Northampton, 100% Wool, 100g / 247 yards per skein
• Color setup: 1 skein each of main color and 2 contrast colors; 1 additional MC skein may be needed for the pompom in size XL
• Primary needle: US 8 (5mm) 16-inch circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Secondary needle: US 7 (4.5mm) 16-inch circular needle and double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the brim and crown
• Additional materials: Stitch markers, tapestry needle, and an optional pompom maker

An important technical note included in the pattern reminds knitters that a larger needle may be needed for colorwork sections than for solid sections to maintain consistent gauge throughout the hat. This is a common consideration in stranded knitting, where carrying two or more yarns across the back of the work can cause the fabric to pull in and tighten if tension is not carefully managed.

Techniques Used

The Belvedere hat employs several classic knitting techniques that make it an excellent project for knitters looking to develop or refine their colorwork skills:

• Bottom-up construction: The hat begins at the brim and is worked upward toward the crown, allowing knitters to try on the hat as they go and adjust length if needed
• Seamless, worked in the round: Using circular needles and then transitioning to DPNs for the crown, the hat is knitted entirely in the round with no seaming required
• Stranded colorwork: Two or more colors are carried across each round, with the unused yarn floated or woven across the wrong side of the fabric. Reading and following a colorwork chart is a key skill practiced in this pattern
• Crown shaping and decreases: As the hat narrows at the top, stitches are decreased in a structured pattern, typically requiring a switch from the circular needle to DPNs

Stitches Used

• Ribbing: Used at the brim to create a stretchy, fitted edge that helps the hat stay in place across all sizes
• Stockinette stitch: The main body of the hat is worked in stock