This hat is a candy knitting project. Cast on, knit ‘round and ‘round, decrease, bind off, wear it! The perfect little confection to snack on when your other knitting is getting a bit too serious.

Minty is a highly adaptable hat and will be comfortable in any season the knitter chooses. Knit it from cotton and wear it year round, or whip up a wool version to keep you snuggly during the chilly months. Any way you slice it you’ve got some serious instant gratification going on.

Like the stripes but worried about jagged color joins? Don’t stress! The eyelet panel is conveniently placed at the end of the round to help conceal any flaws that may occur during color changes. Want to learn more about jogless stripes without the eyelets as a helping hand? Read this!

Both versions of the hat are worked at the same gauge, however, since cotton lacks the stretch of the merino blend the suggested needle sizes are smaller.

SIZE
Toddler [Child, Woman’s S/M, Woman’s M/L] (shown in Woman’s S/M)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Brim circumference: 16[18, 19.5, 21.25] inches

Note: All sizes will comfortably stretch to fit a head circumference up to 2.5 inches larger than the brim circmference. Choose a finished measurement that is at least 1 inch less than your actual head size if using wool-blend or other elastic yarn, or 2 inches less if using cotton or other inelastic yarn. (A hat made using an inelastic fiber will stretch out more, and should fit more tightly to begin with.)

MATERIALS
Yarn
Pepperminty striped hat:
Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Hand Dyes [50% royal alpaca, 50% merino; 100yd/91m per 100g skein]; 1[1, 1, 2] skeins each color
[A] #2012 Cranberry
[B] #2003 Ecru

Minty blue hat:
Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton [100% organic cotton; 150yd/137m per 100g skein]; color: #628 Azul; 1[1, 2, 2] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
Pepperminty striped hat:
1 16-inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle
1 16-inch US #9/5.5mm circular needle
1 set US #9/5.5mm double-point needles

Minty blue hat:
1 16-inch US #6/4mm circular needle
1 16-inch US #8/5mm circular needle
1 set US #8/5mm double-point needles

Notions
4 stitch markers for striped hat, 8 markers for blue hat: for both hats, one marker should be a different type or color from the others
Yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

RLI (Right Lifted Increase): Use the right needle to pick up the stitch below the next stitch on the left needle. Place it on the left needle, then knit into it. 1 stitch has been increased.

LLI (Left Lifted Increase): Use the left needle to pick up the stitch 2 rows below the last stitch on the right needle. Knit into this stitch. 1 stitch has been increased.

Charts
The crown-shaping charts for this pattern are very large and print on one letter-sized page
Click here and print the resulting page.

DIRECTIONS
PEPPERMINTY STRIPED HAT
Using smaller circular needle and A, CO 72[80, 88, 96] sts. Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. Use marker which is different from the others.

Set-up Round: Using B, k63[71, 79, 87], place marker to indicate beginning of eyelet section (eyelet marker), k9.

K 4 rounds using B.

Using larger needles, begin eyelet section as follows:
K 1 round using A.

Eyelet Round: Using A, k to eyelet marker, slip marker, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k1.

K 6 rounds in Stripe Pattern as set.

Repeat these 8 rounds 2[3, 4, 5] times more, then work first 2 rounds once more. A total of 4[5, 6, 7] Eyelet Rounds have been worked.

K 2 rounds using B, removing eyelet marker.

Knit 1 round using A.

Shape Crown:
Set-up Round: Using A, [k18[20, 22, 24], place marker] three times, k18[20, 22, 24].

Work Crown Chart for your size, decreasing as indicated and switching to double-point needles when necessary. Chart is worked four times in each round; chart repeats are separated by markers.

When you have completed Round 7[8, 9, 10] of chart, break B.

When all rounds of chart are complete, 8 sts remain.

Last Round: [Ssk] four times, removing markers. 4 sts.

Break yarn, draw through remaining sts and pull tight.

Set-up Round: k63[71, 79, 87], place marker to indicate beginning of eyelet section (eyelet marker), k9.

Work in stockinette st until work measures 1.5[2, 2, 2.5] inches.

Using larger needles, begin eyelet section as follows:
Eyelet Round: K to eyelet marker, slip marker, k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k1.

K 7 rounds.

Repeat these 8 rounds 2[3, 4, 5] times more, then work Eyelet Round once more. A total of 4[5, 6, 7] Eyelet Rounds have been worked.

K 2 rounds, removing eyelet marker.

Shape Crown:
Set-up Round: [K9[10, 11, 12], place marker] seven times, k9[10, 11, 12].

Next Round: [K to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, slip marker] eight times.
Repeat this round 6[7, 8, 9] times more. 16 sts.

Next Round: [K2tog] eight times. 8 sts.
Break yarn, draw through remaining sts and pull tight.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block as desired.

I-Cord Tie:
Using double-point needle and A, CO 3 sts.
Next Row: Instead of turning work around to work back on the WS, slide all sts to other end of needle, switch needle back to your left hand, bring yarn around back of work, and start knitting the sts again. I-Cord is worked with the RS facing at all times.
Repeat this row to form I-cord. After a few rows, work will begin to form a tube.
Continue working I-Cord until tie measures 20[22, 24, 26] inches.
Break yarn and draw through all sts. Weave in ends.

Lace each end of tie downward through columns of eyelets, beginning at crown and ending at brim. For Toddler's size and Women's size S/M, begin with tie at RS of work; for Child's size and Women's size M/L, begin with tie at WS of work. Tie ends should emerge from bottom eyelets at RS of work.

Pull ties to gather hat body into folds, then secure by tying into a bow.

Erica started playing fiddle at the tender age of nine and by the time she was twelve she was performing professionally with her family band, The Homegrown String Band. Since 1997 the band has been traveling widely around the US. Erica now knits a considerable amount while on the road for gigs, which helps keep her sane while crammed into a minivan with parents, sister, and large amounts of instruments and sound equipment.

You can visit Erica at Fiddle Knits Designs.