989 Cortland - Hat Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Deerfield

Pattern Summary: Cortland Hat – Design #989 by Susan Baron

The Cortland Hat is a beautifully layered knitted hat designed by Susan Baron and published as pattern #989. Available as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated Advanced Beginner, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have mastered basic hat construction and are ready to explore simple lace techniques. Despite its impressive, sophisticated appearance, the design is intentionally approachable, combining two distinct layers of luxurious yarn to create a hat that is as warm and soft as it is elegant.

What Is Being Made

The Cortland is a women's knitted hat featuring a two-layer construction: a solid, warm under-layer worked in a rich alpaca-silk blend, topped by a delicate lace overlay knitted in a mohair-silk blend. The result is a hat with incredible depth of texture and color, where the lace layer floats softly over the solid base, creating a layered visual effect. The pattern is offered in two finished circumference sizes: 19¼ inches and 21½ inches, with the smaller size shown in the sample photography.

Techniques Used

• Worked in the round: The entire hat is knitted seamlessly in the round, eliminating the need for any seaming or finishing joins. This technique produces a smooth, continuous fabric ideal for hat construction.
• Bottom-up construction: The hat begins at the brim and works upward toward the crown, a classic and intuitive approach for knitted hats that allows easy adjustment of length before beginning crown shaping.
• Seamless knitting: Because both layers are worked in the round without seams, the finished hat has a clean, professional interior and exterior.
• Lace knitting: The contrasting color overlay is worked in a lace pattern using the smaller needle size. Lace in knitting typically involves a combination of yarn-overs and decreases that create deliberate holes and decorative motifs in the fabric. Here, the lace is worked over the base layer, adding sophistication without requiring highly advanced lace skills.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch: The main under-layer is worked in stockinette stitch in the round, which produces a smooth, classic knit fabric. Gauge is set at 22 stitches and 28 rounds over 4 inches in stockinette using the larger needles.
• Lace pattern: The overlay layer is worked in a lace stitch pattern using the smaller needles, with a matching gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rounds over 4 inches.
• Crown shaping: As is standard for top-down or bottom-up hats, decreases are worked toward the crown to shape the top of the hat.

Materials: Yarn

This pattern uses two distinct yarns, each contributing unique properties to the finished hat:

• Valley Yarns Deerfield (Main Color – MC): A DK weight yarn composed of 80% Baby Alpaca and 20% Silk, sold in 50g/109-yard balls. The pattern calls for 2 balls in Navy. Baby alpaca is prized for its exceptional softness, warmth, and hypoallergenic qualities, while the silk content adds a subtle sheen and drape. Together, they create a sumptuous, smooth base layer that sits comfortably against the skin.
• Valley Yarns Southampton (Contrast Color – CC): A lace weight yarn composed of 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Mulberry Silk, sold in 25g/230-yard balls. The pattern calls for 1 ball in Merlot. Kid mohair is known for its incredibly fine, halo-like fibers that create a soft, airy bloom around the knitted fabric. The mulberry silk content adds strength and a delicate luster. When worked as a lace overlay, this yarn creates an ethereal, cloud-like effect over the solid base.

Materials: Needles and Notions

• US size 6 (4mm) 16-inch circular needle and double-pointed needles (dpns) – used for the