Days Ahead Hat

Days Ahead Hat by Natalya1905

What Is Being Made

The Days Ahead Hat is a cozy beanie designed to fit head sizes 22-24 inches (56-61cm). This knitted hat features a distinctive folded ribbed brim paired with decorative slip stitch columns on reverse stockinette fabric, accented with beautiful botanical vine motifs. The finished brim measures approximately 4.5 inches (4¾ inches) when unfolded and 2 inches (2¼ inches) when blocked and folded into its final position.

Construction Method

The Days Ahead Hat is knit in the round from brim to crown, creating a seamless, tubular garment. This top-down construction approach allows knitters to try on the hat as they progress and easily adjust the crown shaping. The pattern provides both written instructions and charted instructions, giving knitters flexibility in how they prefer to follow the pattern. Pattern instructions are provided for two sizes: S/M and M/L, with the M/L specifications noted in parentheses throughout.

Stitches and Techniques

This intermediate-level pattern incorporates several key knitting techniques:

• Ribbed brim: Creates the folded edge that gives the hat its structured, finished appearance
• Reverse stockinette: Forms the main fabric background, providing a smooth, refined base
• Slip stitch columns: Vertical decorative elements that add visual texture and interest
• Botanical vine motifs: Charted pattern elements that create the hat's distinctive design feature
• Decreases: The pattern uses k2tog (knit 2 stitches together), k3tog (knit 3 stitches together), and p2tog (purl 2 stitches together) for shaping, particularly in the Main Part and Crown sections
• Stitch count management: The pattern requires careful attention to stitch count, as significant changes occur between rows in the Main Part and Crown sections

Yarn and Materials

The Days Ahead Hat requires approximately 160 yards (147 meters) for the S/M size and 185 yards (170 meters) for the M/L size of DK weight yarn. The featured yarn is JK Fibers hand-dyed yarn in the colorway Granite, composed of 100% British BFL Superwash fiber. Each skein contains 245 yards (224 meters) and weighs 3.5 ounces (100 grams), meaning a single skein provides more than enough yardage for this project.

Knitting tools required include US size 6 (4mm) needles in a 16-inch (40cm) circular needle configuration, suitable for working small circumferences in the round. The DK weight yarn paired with these needles creates a fabric with good stitch definition, allowing the slip stitch columns and botanical vine details to show clearly.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as Easy+ to Intermediate difficulty. While the foundational techniques—knitting in the round, basic decreases, and reading charts—are accessible to knitters with some experience, the combination of charted motifs, stitch count management, and the need to track multiple decreases throughout the crown shaping make this pattern suitable for knitters who have completed several projects and are comfortable with pattern adjustments and careful stitch counting.