This hat was inspired by the shapes of feathers and leaves, arranged in the shape of a crown. As a child I spent much of my time outdoors, wandering forests with my family, or playing in the trees in my backyard. I felt like I was the king of the forest, and the plants and animals were my loyal subjects, all needing to be taken care of by me. This hat features raised knit stitches on a field of purls, exaggerating the 3-dimensional look of the crown. Knit in a solid color yarn is great for spotlighting the stitches, but a variegated yarn could add another layer of texture. I hope you find the Crown of the Forest as enjoyable to knit as I did. Worked in an aran weight yarn, and US size 9 needles, this hat works up in a matter of hours, perfect for one of those instant gratification knits.

-Benjamin Krudwig

Yarn: Cascade Cloud (shown in Pumpkin) or any other Aran weight yarn at 8 wpi.
Needles: US size 9 (5.5mm) in double points or 24” circular
Gauge: 10 stitches = 2 inches