Ornamental Hat by Helen Stewart

Ornamental Hat

Knitting
November 2024
DK (11 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
in Stockinette
US 7 - 4.5 mm
US 4 - 3.5 mm
105 - 183 yards (96 - 167 m)
Baby (Child, Adult, Large Adult)
English

Pulling the holiday decorations out of storage always feels a bit like opening a time capsule. Ornaments are keepers of stories. Whether we’ve inherited them, collected them over the years, or made them by hand, they gather new layers of memories and meaning with each holiday season. That makes them a beautiful bridge between our past and our future. Adorning a tree, gracing a mantel, or brightening a window, each ornament carries the potential to mark a moment of change or celebrate a fresh beginning. The act of choosing a new ornament—or better yet, crafting one—is a deliberate step towards curating our surroundings with intention and meaning, allowing our traditions to evolve as we do.

The Ornamental hat is a simple, classic piece that’s as cosy as it is versatile. Knitting up super-quick in cuddly DK weight yarn, and with four sizes included in the pattern, it’s a brilliant addition to your last-minute gift knitting repertoire. The design combines wide ribbing with vertical strings of eyelets: easy to memorise and fun to knit, with a brim you can turn up for extra warmth on chilly days or leave down for extra slouch. Top it off with a big fluffy pompom for a playful, ornamental finish. As a treat for yourself or as part of a new gifting tradition, the Ornamental Hat is exactly the kind of accessory that might just become a keepsake in its own right—a familiar favourite you reach for year after year, accumulating its own story with each wearing.

Size
Baby (Child, Adult, Large Adult)

To fit head circumference 40.5cm/16” (45.5cm/18”, 56cm/22”, 61cm/24”)

Yarn
NNK 8ply DK Merino Silk Yak (60% Superwash Merino, 20% Silk, 20% Yak, 212m/232yds per 100g skein)
Colour: Magenta Magic

Actual yardage used approximately:
Baby 45g 96m/105yds
Child 60g 128m/140yds
Adult 65g 132m/145yds
Large Adult 80g 167m/183yds

Needles
3.5mm (US 4), 40cm (16”) long circular needles or longer circular needles for magic loop
Note: For the Baby size you may need to use DPNs if not doing magic loop

4.5mm (US 7), 40cm (16”) long circular needles and DPNs for crown shaping or longer circular needles for magic loop (or size to obtain gauge)

Notions
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers
Pompom or Pompom maker
Pictured in sample Grocery Girls Yarnboler Faux Fur Lilac XL Pompom

Gauge
20 sts/28 rows = 10cm (4”) in stockinette stitch in larger needles after blocking