Topography Hat Pattern Collection - the Pylon Cable-Ribbed Beanie
i am excited to share with you The fourth and final design in my Topography hat pattern collection, the Pylon hat!
Beginning with an off-beat ribbing pattern that is then worked into thin cables up through the crown, Pylon is is a modern oversized take on a classic ribbed hat design. And since it calls for a category 6/super bulky weight yarn Pylon knits up quickly, satisfying that “instant gratification” itch that i know i feel on the regular.
not to mention, pylon is an attractive unisex knit with just the right amount of slouch. the easy but interesting and repetitive cable design makes for a meditative knit that is fun for beginning or seasoned knitters.
pattern notes
Yarn
1 skein category 6 super bulky yarn
recommended: Loops & Threads Lush Alpaca in Gray
Needles
Size US 13 (9mm) circular or double-pointed needles
Tools
Tapestry needle for finishing
Gauge
10 stitches over 10 rows in stockinette measures 4.5 x 5”
Finished Dimensions
Completed hat measures approximately 9” W x 10” H
special skills
Knit and purl stitch, following written or charted cable instructions, simple k2T decreases
Taiga Hat Tutorial: Knitting Jogless Colorwork in the Round
The third design in my Topography hat pattern collection is Taiga, a beanie-style hat worked up in worsted weight wool that features a stunning colorwork pattern around the body of the hat. It is the second colorwork design in the collection after Architrave.
I designed the Architrave hat pattern to be very beginner-friendly, using simple stockinette and a syncopated colorwork design that doesn’t require any techniques or adjustments to make the pattern look as it should. Taiga is also approachable to beginners but because the colorwork is continuous, a slight adjustment technique is recommended to fix the inevitable color jog.
So, I put together a simple step-by-step tutorial for this cool knitting trick that will help make your Taiga hat look flawless! This tutorial is included in the pattern, but I wanted to make it available for anyone looking to add this technique to their repertoire.
Get the patterns here:
Knitting “jogless” colorwork in the round:
When you knit in the round, you are knitting in a continuous spiral. When worked in one color, the transition from row to row isn’t noticeable. But when working different colors, the stitch at the end of the row will be stacked slightly higher than the stitch at the beginning of the row, creating what is referred to as a color “jog.”
to avoid this jog, there is an easy technique you can employ that helps to straighten out the line between the first and last stitch. It doesn’t make the row perfectly straight, but it makes the transition much less perceptible, and gets even better after blocking.
Before starting this tutorial, follow the pattern for Taiga up until the first colorwork round. After completing the first round of color change, you are ready to learn to fix the color jog.
Step 1
step 2
Complete one round of colorwork knitting every stitch in the round. slip the beginning of row marker from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle.
step 3
Slip the right-hand needle purl-wise into the right leg of the stitch below the first stitch on the left-hand needle.
basically, you are going to work the first stitch of the round that came before the colorwork round you just knit.
step 4
use the right-hand needle to lift the stitch up and onto the left-hand needle.
step 5
Knit these two stitches together, using the same color as the colorwork round.
slip the newly-knitted stitch back onto the left-hand needle.
You are now ready to begin the new round (in a new color)!
that’s it! the technique is very simple and easy and makes a great fix when doing colorwork in the round. Happy Knitting!
Topography Hat Pattern Collection: The Taiga Colorwork Hat
Taiga is the third hat design in my Topography pattern collection, and the second colorwork design. evoking traditional nordic sweater motifs and chilly winters, the Taiga hat is a unique and modern unisex accessory.
Worked up in worsted-weight yarn, Taiga is a versatile accessory that transitions well from fall to winter, and through the chilly transition into spring.
A bit more challenging than the colorwork for the Architrave hat, the design for Taiga is still approachable for stranded colorwork beginners. With consistent color changes every few stitches through each row of the chart, carrying color floats and maintaining good tension is easy.
pattern details:
Yarn
1 skein of worsted weight (category 4) yarn
Suggested: Patons Classic Wool Worsted
Needles
Size US 6 (4mm) circular or double-pointed needles
Tools
Tapestry needle for finishing
Gauge
Work 15 stitches in stockinette over 20 rows
Finished swatch should measure 3.25 x 3.5”
Finished Dimensions
Completed hat measures approximately 9 x 9.5”
Special Techniques:
To ensure there are no color jogs in the finished work, a “no color jog” technique should be applied after very row of the chart. check back in tomorrow for a step-by-step tutorial!
Topography Hat Pattern Collection: The Silicate Reversible Beanie
The second hat in my Topography pattern collection is Silicate, a chunky-weight beanie that is designed to be reversible!
This hat is worked from the bottom up starting with a nice 1x1 ribbing that both looks great and helps the brim keep its shape. Using simple combinations of knit and purl stitches, the pattern creates a series of stacked chevrons that give Silicate great texture and visual interest. The contrasting stitch pattern changes the look of the hat depending on which way it’s worn: the “knit” side shows off a neat 4-pointed crown, and the “purl” side highlights the chevron pattern.
The stunning result is two different looks in one hat!
Silicate is a cozy and versatile unisex hat that would look great worked up in virtually every color.
Pattern Details:
Yarn
1 skein of super bulky (category 6) yarn
Suggested: Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick
or
Loops & Threads Touch of Alpaca
Needles
Size US 13 (9mm) circular or double-pointed needles
Tools
Tapestry needle for finishing
Gauge
Work 10 stitches in stockinette over 10 rows
Finished swatch should measure 4.5 x 5”
Finished Dimensions
Completed hat measures approximately 9 x 10”
introducing the topography hat pattern collection
i am so excited to share with you my new collection of hat patterns, releasing over the course of the month of march! the topography collection is inspired by architectural and geological features around the world and a desire to produce a series of unisex hats that are understated yet visually interesting, and modern yet timeless.
including two simple colorwork designs and two chunky knit hats, all four patterns are perfect for intermediate or adventurous beginners. the patterns are simple and quick to knit and feature techniques such as stranded colorwork, interesting stitch patterns, and cables.
while these hats would look incredible knit up in any kind of yarn, I specifically wanted to utilize high quality natural fiber and natural fiber-blend yarns for the samples that are affordable and widely available at local craft stores. i not only wanted to highlight some really great yarns at really great prices, but also to make these patterns and finished objects even more accessible to everyone. i hope you love these designs as much as i do!
architrave
Introducing the architrave hat! a beanie-style fitted knit with just a little bit of slouch, the pattern features a simple colorwork design influenced by ancient stepped pyramids and desert mesas. worked up in a few yards of contrast colored wool, the design is both subtle and visually interesting.
this pattern calls for one skein of a medium worsted weight/category 4 yarn, and size us 6 (4.0mm) needles. I highly recommend Patons classic wool worsted, the praises of which i have sung before (see my post: the best affordable, natural fiber yarns). This yarn is a workhorse! it is 100% wool, blocks up incredibly soft, and clocks in at around $6-7 a skein at local craft stores. i almost always have a skein of the black or aran colors on hand! for the architrave sample, i used colorway “heath heather.”
the pattern for architrave will be available as a pdf download on friday, march 5th on both elisemade.com and ravelry!
silicate
silicate is the second hat pattern and first chunky knit in the topography collection. using a series of knit and purl stitches to create a stacked chevron pattern this hat is designed to be reversible, with the “knit” side highlighting a neat 4-pointed crown and the “purl” side showcasing the alternating stitches. this hat knits up incredibly fast and could be made in about an hour!
the pattern for silicate calls for one skein of a super bulky/category 6 yarn and size us 13 (9mm) needles. for the sample i used the ubiquitous lion brand wool-ease thick & quick in color kale. the pattern includes both written and charted instructions.
the pattern for silicate will be available as a pdf download on friday, march 15th on both elisemade.com and ravelry!
taiga
Taiga is the third hat in the collection, and the second stranded colorwork design. evocative of chilly winters and traditional nordic sweater patterns, taiga is both unique and classic. Choose a contrasting color to keep the design neutral, or get creative with color combinations!
this pattern calls for a medium worsted weight/category 4 yarn and size us 6 (4.0mm) needles. for this sample i used patons classic wool worsted in color new denim, and color navy for the colorwork design.
the pattern for taiga will be available as a pdf download on friday, march 22nd on both elisemade.com and ravelry!
pylon
The last design in the series is the pylon hat, a slouchy knit worked up in chunky weight yarn. this pattern begins with an off-beat ribbing that works up into tight cables running up to the crown of the hat. Pylon is an easy and repetitive pattern that can be worked up in about an hour!
this pattern calls for a super bulky/category 6 yarn and size us 13 (9mm) needles. i used a new yarn for the first time for this sample, and i was very impressed with the quality and softness! Check out loops & threads lush alpaca (20% alpaca!) in color gray. pattern includes both written and charted instructions.
the pattern for taiga will be available as a pdf download on friday, march 29th on both elisemade.com and ravelry!