“And a partridge in a pretzel!” Isn’t that how the Christmas carol goes? No? Well, this unlikely combination makes for a charming hat.

I fell in love with the eye of partridge stitch when learning to knit socks many years ago. This classic stitch pattern is known for its sturdiness, but the slipped stitches also create a double-thick fabric that traps air, adding warmth and squish to fine yarn. When I ran across the pretzel cable in Barbara Walker’s A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns, I knew I could merge the two stitch patterns into an engaging knit.

Partridge in a Pretzel is designed in two sizes with options for a beanie or slouchy fit. Panels of eye of partridge are intersected by braids of pretzel cables that converge into an attractive crown. Choose a smooth fingering weight yarn in a solid or tonal colorway in order to let the twisted cables pop. This lightweight hat will be your go-to headgear whether you’re sitting in the stands of spring baseball or fall football games—munching on warm soft pretzels, of course. Pompoms and Christmas carols, optional.

Please use the hashtag #PartridgeInAPretzelHat when posting pictures on social media.

Skills Required

• Knitting & purling, casting on & binding off
• Increasing (knit front and back, yarn over)
• Decreasing (knit 2 together, slip slip knit)
• Working cables (instructions included)
• Working from charts (optional

Notions

• Cable needle
• 8 stitch markers
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends
• Balloon (optional)

Finished Measurements
Circumference: 20 (22.5) inches / 51 (57) cm
Height: 8 (10) inches / 20 (25.4) cm

Credits
Tech editor: Ellen M. Silva
Sample knitter (size large): Laura Gorton (LauraKnitsPA)

This pattern is also available from ModeKnit Yarn.