Purple Hat

Purple Hat by Evvash

What Is Being Made

The Purple Hat is a downloadable knitting pattern for a stranded colorwork hat designed by Evvash. This beginner-friendly hat project features a beautiful multicolor design incorporating purple, off-white, light olive, and dark grey yarns. The finished hat is worked in the round using circular or double-pointed needles and is suitable for knitters new to colorwork techniques.

Craft and Primary Technique

This pattern uses knitting as the primary craft method. The hat is constructed using stranded colorwork, a technique where two colors of yarn are carried across the back of the work to create a patterned fabric. Stranded colorwork, also known as Fair Isle knitting, allows knitters to incorporate multiple colors into a single row by holding different yarn colors in each hand and switching between them as the pattern dictates. This technique creates a dense, textured fabric with color changes on the front while the unused yarn strands are carried along the back.

Stitches and Construction

The hat is worked primarily in Stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic knit fabric with a flat appearance. The gauge for this pattern is 20 stitches by 28 rows over a 4 by 4 inch (10 by 10 centimeter) swatch worked in Stockinette stitch. The hat is constructed in the round, meaning it is knitted continuously in a spiral rather than in flat rows, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless finished garment.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Purple Hat pattern calls for Aran weight yarn, specifically Drops Nepal, which is composed of 65% wool and 35% alpaca. The yarn specifications are 82 yards per 1.75 ounces (75 meters per 50 grams). The color requirements include:

• Off-white (color 0100) – 1 skein
• Light olive (color 8038) – 1 skein
• Purple (color 4434) – 2 skeins
• Dark grey (color 0506) – 1 skein

The pattern notes that yarn substitution is acceptable provided the replacement yarn maintains the same yardage and weight proportions of 1.75 ounces (50 grams) per approximately 82 yards (75 meters).

Needles and Tools Required

Knitters will need either a 16 inch (40 centimeter) US 4 (3.5 millimeter) circular needle or US 4 (3.5 millimeter) double-pointed needles to construct this hat. Additional essential tools include scissors and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends. The pattern recommends (but does not require) a row counter to track progress through each row and a stitch marker to clearly identify the beginning of each round.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner difficulty, making it an accessible introduction to stranded colorwork knitting. The straightforward Stockinette stitch base combined with the colorwork technique provides an ideal learning project for knitters expanding their skills into multicolor patterns.

Pattern Support

Evvash emphasizes precision and thoughtful pattern design. Knitters with questions, difficulties, or suspected errors are encouraged to contact the designer at pattern@evvash.com for assistance and clarification.