Glades Road Hat

Glades Road Hat by Jennifer Myrick

What is Being Made

The Glades Road Hat is a knitted beanie designed to fit children through adults. Due to its stretchy construction, this hat accommodates a range of head sizes with an unstretched circumference of 15 inches (38 centimeters) and a length of 10 inches (25 centimeters). The design is inspired by the arts and crafts community of Gatlinburg, reflecting the creative spirit of regional artisans and craftspeople.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

This hat is worked in the round using circular needles, a fundamental technique for creating seamless, tubular garments. The pattern begins with a ribbed brim worked on smaller needles, which creates elasticity and helps the hat conform to different head sizes. The construction progresses from the brim upward, utilizing the stretchy properties of the ribbed stitch pattern to ensure a comfortable fit across a variety of sizes.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern employed in the Glades Road Hat is knit and purl ribbing, specifically a K2P2 (knit 2, purl 2) repeat. This classic ribbed stitch creates vertical columns of texture that provide both visual interest and functional stretch. Ribbing is an essential stitch pattern for hat construction, as it naturally hugs the head while remaining comfortable for extended wear. The pattern also calls for a cable needle, suggesting that cable stitches may be incorporated into the design for added textural detail.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Glades Road Hat is designed to be knitted with Cascade Yarns CASCADE 220, a worsted-weight yarn composed of 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. Each skein provides 100 grams and 220 yards of yardage. The pattern requires one skein in the #2433 Pacific colorway, making this a quick and accessible project for knitters with limited yarn quantities.

The needles required include two sizes of 16-inch circular needles: Size 6 (4mm) for the ribbed brim and Size 8 (5mm) for the main body of the hat. The gauge is established at 20 stitches and 24 rounds over 4 inches when worked on the larger needles in pattern. Additional notions include a stitch marker to denote the beginning of each round, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, a cable needle for managing cable stitches, and a measuring tape or ruler for checking finished dimensions.

Skill Level and Accessibility

Rated as a beginner-level pattern, the Glades Road Hat is an excellent introduction to in-the-round knitting and circular needle techniques. The straightforward K2P2 ribbing repeat is easy to memorize and maintain, making it suitable for knitters who are new to hat construction. The project's relatively quick completion time—requiring only one skein of yarn—provides an achievable goal for developing knitters seeking to build confidence with circular needles and seamless construction methods.