Brio basket hat

Brio Basket Hat by Dejana Knezevic

What Is Being Made

The Brio basket hat is a brioche basketweave knit hat designed as a versatile winter accessory. While the pattern accommodates multiple sizes and can be worn by any gender, the designer envisions it primarily as a men's winter hat. The pattern also notes that the crown can be omitted to create a neck warmer or cowl-style accessory. Skillful knitters can complete this project in a single day.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

This hat is knitted in the round from the bottom up, a construction method that creates seamless, tubular fabric ideal for fitted headwear. The defining technique is two-color brioche knitting, which requires intermediate to advanced knitting skills. Brioche knitting creates a distinctive textured fabric with lifted stitches that produce the characteristic basketweave appearance. The pattern includes both written stitch-by-stitch instructions in English as well as photo and video tutorials to guide knitters through the brioche techniques.

The crown shaping uses a brioche 4-stitch decrease (br4st dec), which requires either a cable needle or clover stitch marker to execute properly. This specialized decrease maintains the brioche texture while reducing stitches for the hat's crown closure.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is brioche stitch, worked in two colors to create the basketweave texture. This stitch involves knitting into stitches from the previous row and lifting yarn overs to create the characteristic brioche fabric with its dimensional, woven appearance. The pattern requires knowledge of basic to advanced brioche techniques, including proper yarn over placement and lifted stitch execution across color changes.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Brio basket hat is worked in DK weight yarn. The sample shown is a men's size XL-XXL (head circumference 62–66 cm) and uses approximately 2 balls of Mondial Sublime yarn (65% cotton, 35% merino extrafine), with each ball weighing 50 grams and measuring approximately 110–120 yards. The total yardage needed is roughly 146–160 yards for this size.

Size adjustments are accommodated through needle changes: women's sizes and men's size L require US 6 / 4mm needles, while the standard men's sizes use US 7 / 4.5mm needles.

Needles and Tools Required

• 16-inch (40 cm) circular needle in US 7 / 4.5mm (or US 6 / 4mm for smaller sizes) for the main hat body
• US 7 / 4.5mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) – a set of 4 needles plus 1 extra – for crown shaping when the circumference becomes too small for circular needles
• Cable needle or clover stitch marker for executing the brioche 4-stitch decrease
• Tapestry needle(s) for weaving in yarn ends

Skill Level and Pattern Format

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty and requires knitters to have solid foundational knowledge of knitting in the round and two-color brioche techniques at an intermediate to advanced level. The downloadable PDF format includes comprehensive written instructions with stitch-by-stitch guidance, supplemented by photo tutorials and video demonstrations to support knitters through the more complex brioche sections.