Underleaf Hat

Underleaf Hat by Kyoko Nakayoshi

What Is Being Made

The Underleaf Hat is a multi-colored knitted beanie designed to fit head circumferences of 51, 53, or 55 cm (20, 21, or 21.75 inches) in small, medium, and large sizes respectively. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a finished brim circumference of 42.5, 45, or 47.5 cm when measured unstretched. The hat is ideal for knitters seeking an intermediate-level project that combines simplicity with visual impact.

Techniques Used

The Underleaf Hat employs slip-stitch colorwork as its primary technique, which creates striking multi-colored effects while remaining surprisingly accessible for intermediate knitters. Rather than managing multiple yarn strands simultaneously as in traditional Fair Isle or stranded colorwork, slip-stitch patterns allow knitters to work with one color per round, making the technique less complex while still producing eye-catching results. The pattern also incorporates increases worked as make-ones (M1) to shape the crown of the hat.

Stitches Used

The hat is constructed using the following stitches:

• Knit stitch (K) – the foundation stitch used in stockinette sections
• Slip stitch (Sl 1) – the key stitch in the small ribbon pattern that creates the colorwork effect
• Make-one increase (M1) – used in the crown shaping round to increase stitch count from 136 to 144 to 152 stitches depending on size

The small ribbon stitch pattern is worked over a multiple of 4 stitches and repeats every 4 rounds. The pattern alternates between solid knit rounds in one color and slip-stitch rounds in contrasting colors, creating a subtle ribbed texture with color variation.

Materials

The Underleaf Hat is knitted using Olympus Premio yarn in DK weight, a blend of 40% Tasmanian Polwarth wool and 60% other fibers. The pattern calls for four coordinating colorways:

• Color A – Oatmeal (337): 3, 4, or 5 balls of 25g each, depending on size
• Color B – Willow (769): 1 ball of 25g
• Color C – Espresso (970): 1 ball of 25g
• Color D – Ginger (462): 1 ball of 25g

The pattern is worked on 3.75mm knitting needles and includes a small ribbon trim. This yarn selection and needle size create a fabric suitable for a close-fitting, structured hat. The DK weight provides good stitch definition for the slip-stitch colorwork while remaining lightweight enough for comfortable wear.

Design Notes

Designer Kyoko Nakayoshi created this pattern to showcase how slip-stitch colorwork can produce impressive visual results without the complexity of traditional stranded techniques. The pattern is particularly well-suited to using odds and ends of pretty-colored yarn, making it an economical choice for stash-busting. The intermediate difficulty level makes it accessible to knitters with basic skills who are ready to explore colorwork techniques.