All proceeds from sales of this pattern will be donated to Voices of Children, a Ukrainian organization supporting children living with war trauma.

Psel is a top-down hat, knit from the crown to a colourwork brim whose double thickness and floats will keep your ears toasty-warm. Its construction means you can try it on as you go for a perfect fit, and thanks to some cheeky tricks you’ll never need to purl. The pattern is written in two sizes to fit most adult heads. A quick and straightforward but never boring knit, you’ve still got time to knit one or three for your favourite heads this holiday season.

The colourwork motif on the hat’s brim is drawn from an antique weaving in my family collection, made with deft hands in the Sumy region of Ukraine through which the Psel River flows. The area has suffered tremendously in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, due to its proximity to the border, but it remains beautiful and indominable. I hope it brings you joy to spend some time with this pattern and the precious place it represents.

Sample knit in Nutiden held double in the colours Sno, Sejd, and Stilla.

With gratitude to the test knitters (Hannah Kirijian, Anna Radchenko, Linda Regina, Katja Andersson), editors (Kitty Wunder and Naomi Endicott), and pattern model (Nadia Demko) who made this pattern possible!