Heydon + Tide in Mode at Rowan Alpaca Cotton & Softest Alpaca - Downloadable PDF

Heydon + Tide by Quail Studio – Knitted Hat and Cowl Pattern in Mode at Rowan Alpaca Cotton and Softest Alpaca

This downloadable PDF pattern from Quail Studio for Mode at Rowan includes two beginner-friendly knitting designs: the Heydon Hat and the Tide accessory. Both projects are worked in cosy, lightweight yarns and make ideal introductory projects for knitters building confidence with shaping and ribbing techniques. The collection is designed to be quick and satisfying to knit, using chunky and DK weight yarns for a soft, wearable finish.

Heydon Hat

The Heydon Hat is a seamless-style knitted hat that can be worked either flat on a pair of straight needles or in the round on double-pointed needles, giving knitters flexibility depending on their preferred method. The hat is photographed in Alpaca Cotton shade Charcoal Melange 012, a 25g ball from the Mode at Rowan range.

Construction and Techniques

• Cast on and ribbing: The hat begins by casting on 90 stitches and working in a 1x1 rib pattern (knit 1, purl 1 repeated to the end of each row) for approximately 18cm, creating a deep, stretchy ribbed body with excellent fit and texture.
• Crown shaping: Once the body reaches the required length, a series of structured decrease rows are worked to shape the crown. Decreases are made using K2tog (knit two together), reducing the stitch count in stages from 90 stitches down through 75, 60, and 45 stitches, maintaining the rib pattern throughout the shaping for a neat, consistent finish.
• Flat versus in-the-round: Knitters working flat will seam the hat at the end, while those using double-pointed needles can work the hat seamlessly throughout, including during the crown decreases.

Stitches Used

• 1x1 Rib (knit 1, purl 1)
• K2tog (right-leaning decrease for crown shaping)

Materials and Tension

• Yarn: Mode at Rowan Alpaca Cotton (25g balls), shown in Charcoal Melange 012
• Needles: 4mm (US 6) straight needles for the flat version; 4mm (US 6) double-pointed needles for the in-the-round version
• Tension: 24 stitches and 27 rows to 10cm over rib pattern using 4mm needles
• Yarn weight: DK / Chunky
• Difficulty: Beginner

Tide

The Tide design is the second project included in this PDF pattern. As part of the same Quail Studio collection for Mode at Rowan, Tide is a cowl worked in a complementary yarn and style to the Heydon Hat, making the two designs a natural pairing for a coordinated handknitted accessories set.

Materials

• Yarn: Mode at Rowan Softest Alpaca, a luxuriously soft alpaca-blend yarn suited to accessories worn close to the skin such as cowls
• Needles: Appropriate needle size as specified within the pattern for the chosen yarn weight
• Yarn weight: DK / Chunky
• Difficulty: Beginner

About Cowl Knitting

Cowls are closed-loop neckwear pieces that sit around the neck and shoulders, providing warmth without the bulk of a full scarf. They are frequently worked in the round on circular or double-pointed needles, though some designs are worked flat and seamed. Ribbing is a particularly popular stitch choice for cowls because of its natural elasticity and the way it frames the face and