Hakone Bulky Knit Hat

Hakone Bulky Knit Hat by Northwind Knits

What Is Being Made

The Hakone Bulky Knit Hat is an intermediate-level knitted headwear project designed to fit most head sizes. This downloadable PDF pattern from independent designer Northwind Knits creates a classic, textured hat using bulky-weight yarn and straightforward knitting techniques suitable for crafters with some knitting experience.

Yarn and Materials

This pattern requires 1 hank of Noro Hakone Yarn, a 100% wool yarn available in 100-gram skeins with 100 meters of yardage per hank. The bulky yarn weight ensures quick project completion and creates a warm, substantial fabric ideal for cold-weather wear. Knitters will need Size 11 circular knitting needles measuring 22 inches long for the main body of the hat, along with a set of 4 Size 11 double-pointed (DP) knitting needles for transitioning to the crown shaping when the circumference becomes too small for circular needles.

Gauge and Fit

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 3 stitches per inch in garter stitch. The finished hat begins with 56 cast-on stitches and measures just over 8 inches in length from cast-on to the start of the crown decreases, accommodating most standard adult head sizes.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Hakone Bulky Knit Hat employs fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for intermediate-level crafters:

• Garter Stitch in the Round: The main body is created using alternating knit and purl rounds to produce garter stitch texture when working on circular needles. Knitters work 1 knit round followed by 1 purl round, repeating this sequence until the hat reaches the desired length of approximately 23 ridges from the cast-on row.
• Cast On: The pattern begins with casting 56 stitches onto circular needles, joined carefully in the round without twisting.
• Knit 2 Together (k2tog) Decreases: Crown shaping is accomplished through strategic decreases using the k2tog stitch, which combines two stitches into one. The decrease rounds follow a progressive pattern: knit 5 stitches then k2tog (Round 1), knit 4 stitches then k2tog (Round 3), knit 3 stitches then k2tog (Round 5), and finally knit 2 stitches then k2tog (Round 7), with purl rounds worked between each decrease round to maintain garter stitch texture.
• Transition to Double-Pointed Needles: As the stitch count decreases during crown shaping, knitters switch from circular needles to double-pointed needles to accommodate the smaller circumference.

Pattern Structure

The hat is worked in two main sections. The body section uses garter stitch in the round, creating a textured, reversible fabric that looks the same on both sides. The crown section employs a series of evenly-spaced decreases that gradually reduce the stitch count from 56 to 24 stitches, creating a fitted crown closure. All decrease rounds are separated by purl rounds to maintain consistent garter stitch patterning throughout the crown shaping.