Bluestone Hat

Bluestone Hat by Steven Hicks

What is Being Made

The Bluestone is a knitted plaid hat designed by Steven Hicks featuring a simplified tartan pattern. This intermediate-level project creates a cozy, comfortable hat available in three finished sizes: Small (20"/51 cm circumference), Medium (22"/55 cm circumference), and Large (24"/58.5 cm circumference). The design combines the visual appeal of traditional plaid patterns with a modern, proportional approach to colorwork that avoids the overworked appearance sometimes seen in knitted tartans.

Pattern Design and Inspiration

The Bluestone hat draws inspiration from classic plaid aesthetics, evoking the comfort and coziness of flannel pajamas and relaxation by a fire. Rather than attempting a complex, multi-color tartan, the pattern utilizes a simplified approach with two contrast colors worked in narrow horizontal and vertical stripes to create the plaid effect. This streamlined method maintains visual interest while keeping the colorwork manageable for intermediate knitters.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This hat employs colorwork knitting as its primary technique, specifically combining two distinct methods:

• Intarsia knitting: Used for the vertical stripes, where separate pieces of yarn are worked to create distinct color blocks without carrying yarn across the back of the fabric
• Stranded knitting: Also incorporated into the overall colorwork construction to achieve the plaid pattern

The combination of these two colorwork techniques allows the knitter to create the horizontal and vertical stripe pattern that forms the plaid design while managing yarn tension and fabric integrity. The gauge is 6 stitches per inch (2.5 cm) worked on US #4/3.5 mm needles.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Bluestone hat is designed to be worked with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light, a sport weight yarn composed of 50% Super Fine Alpaca and 50% Peruvian Highland Wool. This fiber blend provides softness, warmth, and a luxurious feel appropriate for a hat worn close to the face and ears.

Yarn requirements by color:

• Main color: 2 skeins in #4209 Moonshadow (144 yards/132 meters per 50g skein)
• Contrast color 1: 1 skein in #4281 Redwood Mix
• Contrast color 2: 1 skein in #4207 Salt & Pepper

Needles required:

• US #4/3.5 mm circular needle (16"/40 cm) for working the body of the hat in the round
• US #4/3.5 mm double pointed needles for the crown decreases when the circumference becomes too small for circular needles

The sport weight yarn and needle size combination creates a fabric with good stitch definition, allowing the plaid colorwork pattern to display clearly while maintaining the structure and shape of the finished hat.

Skill Level

Rated as an intermediate project, the Bluestone hat requires knitters to be comfortable with circular needle techniques, working in the round, and executing colorwork patterns. Familiarity with both intarsia and stranded knitting methods is beneficial, as is the ability to manage multiple yarn colors and tension control during colorwork sections.