This sweater pattern was created by Courtney Walters, a librarian in Bettendorf, Iowa. Every other year, the Library uses the Global Gathering series to highlight a particular country or region of the world. In 2015, Global Gathering Norway included two months of programs and activities that highlighted Norwegian life, history and culture, including a knit-along of the sweater that this hat serves as a gauge swatch for.

This pattern is for a fairly simple hat with a Norwegian star motif. There are two size options: child and adult. If you are using a heavier weight yarn, such as Bartlett 2ply, you may choose to use larger needles (8 or 9, rather than 7) to knit the child’s size for an adult - this is up to you and how you knit. The majority of your yardage will need to be in the main color, with about a quarter of the yardage in your contrasting color.

More information on yarn and colors: This hat is intended to be a gauge swatch for the Global Gathering Norway Ski Sweater. If you intend to knit the sweater, you will need to use the yarn, and preferably colors, you intend to use on the sweater.

A typical Setesdal sweater is worked in a black yarn, with white contrasting stitches. Feel free to choose whatever colors you like, but be sure they have a high contrast, to better enable your color work to stand out. If you choose a variegated yarn, it is best to choose one that does not vary too greatly in color or value, and to use it as the contrasting color. And of course, if you are entirely too intimidated by knitting a color work sweater or hat, go ahead and knit them in one color!

Update

There has been a question as to where the 21st/4in gauge applies. This should be over the color work section of the hat. Ideally, this won’t be far off from your normal gauge, but it’s important that when you measure your gauge to use for the sweater, you use the color work section.

Updated pattern

Pattern has been updated with more accurate yarn requirements (originally overestimated on purpose), according to usage from several knitters. Also, an inverse color chart has been added to cut down on confusion for newer color work knitters. Other minor edits have also been made.

Errata

The last stitch in line 13 of the chart should be made in the contrasting color. The PDF has been updated to reflect this.

The pattern now also explicitly states to join to work in the round after the cast on row.