When I was little, my mother kept a generous supply of confections stashed away in a kitchen cabinet. During the winter holidays, we would push aside the spice jars stacked at the cabinet’s front and unearth sugar crystals of every color, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, and multi-colored nonpareils, which we would shake out over sugar cookie shapes before sliding them into the oven. These hats, sprinkled with puffy dots of variegated yarn, remind me of our marathon cookie decorating sessions, and the many nonpareils, sprinkles, and sugar crystals that spilled across the baking sheets as we haphazardly scattered them about.

Construction

Nonpareil is a simple bottom-up beanie with an interesting stranded stitch that adds character and texture. For best results, choose a complimentary color in a yarn weight that is heavier than the main color. The reverse stockinette stitch background helps the polka dots to stand out even more, but the hat can be worked entirely in stockinette stitch.
Increases for this hat are worked using a lifted increase method, but you can substitute your preferred method.

Sizing

Pattern includes instructions for worsted and sport weight versions.

Finished Hat Circumference (At Widest Point)
16¾ (19¼, 21½) inches; 42.5 (49, 55) cm

Yarn Requirements

Sport Weight
Main Color: 95(110,125) yards Neighborhood Fiber Co Studio Sport in Woodberry (100% superwash merino wool, 350 yards/ 5.5 oz.)
Contrasting Color: 50(60,70) yards Neighborhood Fiber Co Rustic DK in Gwynn Oak (100% superwash merino wool, 275 yards/ 4 oz)

Worsted
Main Color: 80(95,115) yards Malabrigo Rios in Playa (100% superwash merino wool, 210 yards/ 100 grams)
Contrasting Color: 35(45,55) yards Malabrigo Mecha in Arapay (100% superwash merino wool, 130 yards/100 grams)

Needles/Notions

Sport Weight Needles
US size 5 (3.75 mm) 16” (40 cm) circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
US size 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles
US size 4 (3.50 mm) 16” (40 cm) circular needles

Worsted Weight Needles
US size 7 (4.50mm) 16” (40 cm) circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge
US size 7 (4.50mm) double pointed needles
US size 6 (4.00mm) 16” (40 cm) circular needles

Stitch marker
Waste yarn
Yarn needle

Designer Notes

Hat is meant to have a slightly slouchy fit

Pattern includes written and charted instructions for stranded cobnut pattern

Pattern includes schematic

Twisted German Cast On