659 Hobnail Hat and Mittens - Knitting Pattern for Men and Women in Valley Yarns Brimfield

Pattern 659: Brimfield Hat and Mittens – Knitting Pattern by Sara Delaney

This knitting pattern, numbered 659 and designed by Sara Delaney, delivers a beautifully textured slouchy hat and matching mittens set worked in Valley Yarns Brimfield, a luxurious worsted-weight yarn blending 70% Extrafine Merino Wool and 30% Silk. The pattern is rated advanced beginner and is available as a downloadable PDF, making it an accessible yet rewarding project for knitters looking to build their skills while producing a polished, wearable accessory set suitable for both men and women.

Design Concept and Yarn Choice

Sara Delaney specifically chose Valley Yarns Brimfield for its natural shine and excellent twist, properties that make it ideally suited to textured stitch patterns. The design centers on an offset 2x1 ribbing that reads visually like classic seed stitch but is significantly easier on the hands during extended knitting sessions. This is a thoughtful design decision that makes the pattern approachable for newer knitters while still producing a sophisticated, tactile fabric with great stitch definition. The silk content in Brimfield adds a subtle luminosity that enhances the textured pattern beautifully.

The Slouchy Hat

The hat is worked bottom-up and seamlessly in the round, beginning on a 16-inch circular needle in US size 5 (3.75mm), then transitioning to double-pointed needles as the crown decreases reduce the stitch count. The finished hat measures 20 inches in circumference and 10 inches deep, giving it that relaxed, slouchy silhouette.

• Cast on: 120 stitches, joined to work in the round with a beginning-of-round marker
• Brim ribbing: A 2x1 rib (k2, p1) repeated for approximately 2 inches establishes a neat, stretchy lower edge
• Body pattern stitch: An offset 2x1 rib is introduced, beginning with a strategic k2tog decrease on the first pattern round to shift the rib alignment and create the seed-stitch-like visual texture; the marker is moved one stitch forward on every subsequent round to maintain the offset
• Body length: The pattern stitch is worked until the hat measures 7 inches from the top of the ribbing
• Crown shaping: A series of 13 carefully structured decrease rounds reduce the stitch count progressively, using paired k2tog and p2tog decreases interspersed with plain pattern rounds to maintain the textured fabric all the way to the crown
• Finishing: The remaining stitches are broken off and drawn together with a tapestry needle to close the crown neatly

Crown Decrease Structure

The crown shaping is one of the more technically interesting aspects of this pattern and is what pushes it into the advanced beginner category. Rather than simple uniform decreases, Sara Delaney uses a repeating sequence of double knit decreases and purl decreases (k2tog, k2tog, p2tog) that work in harmony with the offset ribbing pattern. Between decrease rounds, plain pattern rounds allow the fabric to settle, preserving the textured appearance rather than collapsing it abruptly. The stitch counts reduce through the following progression:

• Round 1 of decreases: 95 stitches
• Round 4 of decreases: 71 stitches
• Round 7 of decreases: 47 stitches
• Round 10 of decreases: 23 stitches
• Round 13 of decreases: 11 stitches before final closure

The Mittens

The matching mittens continue the same offset 2x1 ribbing pattern stitch, ensuring a cohesive look across the accessory set. Like the hat, the mittens are worked seamlessly in the round using the bottom-up construction method on double-