Step it up hat

Step it up Hat by Fiona Hamilton-MacLaren

What is Being Made

The Step it up hat is a quick-to-work knitted hat designed by independent designer Fiona Hamilton-MacLaren. This project creates a snugly fitting hat using a combination of knit and purl stitches to build visual and tactile texture throughout the piece. The pattern is available in two sizing options: small/medium and medium/large, with the small/medium size fitting a 56 cm head. The lightly stretchy fabric created by the stitch pattern ensures a comfortable, form-fitting wear.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level knitting project employs several fundamental knitting techniques. The hat is worked in the round, a method that creates a seamless, tubular fabric ideal for hat construction. The pattern requires proficiency with casting on to begin the project and weaving in ends to finish it neatly. Stitch decreasing is used to shape the crown of the hat, reducing the number of stitches as you work toward the top. The pattern uses a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round, helping maintain consistent pattern placement throughout the knitting process.

Stitches Used

The Step it up hat features a stepped rib pattern created through the strategic use of basic stitches. The primary stitches employed are:

• Knit (k) – the fundamental stitch that forms the base of the fabric
• Purl (p) – the reverse of the knit stitch, used to create the textured rib pattern and visual interest
• Knit through back loop (ktbl) – a variation that twists the stitch for added texture
• Knit two together (k2tog) – a left-leaning decrease used to shape the hat crown
• Purl two together (p2tog) – a decrease worked in purl stitch for shaping

The combination of knit and purl stitches in a stepped rib arrangement creates a lightly stretchy, textured fabric that is both visually appealing and functionally supportive for a snug fit.

Materials and Tools

The Step it up hat is worked with Lion Brand Wool Ease Worsted weight yarn, requiring just 1 ball to complete the project. The yarn shown in the pattern photographs is in the Burgundy colorway. Knitting needles should be 5.0mm in size, and you may choose to work with either double pointed needles or circular needles for working in the round – both options produce the same finished result. Additional notions include a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and 1 stitch marker to track round progression. The gauge for this pattern is 20 stitches and 28 rows per 10 centimeters worked in the stepped rib pattern, which is essential to measure before beginning to ensure proper fit.