Chill Out Winter Hat; Fair Isle Hat with Latvian Braid

What is more fun to make than a fair isle hat with traditional snowflake motifs and an awesome Latvian Braid detail above the brim? I don’t know either, but the good news is that we don’t have to find out because the Chill Out Winter Hat is free knitting hat pattern with a fair isle hat with Latvian braid 🙂

This hat was made to fight the winter blues that happen to so many of us. While knitting it I found pleasure in doing the Latvian Braid for the first time and then working two-handed fair isle for the body of the hat in two colors that absolutely love. But the part that really made my heart sing is the crown. The decreases on the crown are done in such a way that the colorwork pattern is uninterrupted which I find very satisfying. Overall, making this hat kicked the blues away and I was much more chilled out when I was finished. Hence the name, Chill Out Winter Hat.

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Chill Out Winter Hat by Marly Bird | Free Knitting Pattern on Ravelry — **Chill Out Winter Hat by Marly Bird** | Free Knitting Pattern on Ravelry

Queue it up and Like the Pattern on Ravelry

You need a quickie? ???? You have a big stash? ???? Then I have the perfect project for you. Finish this quick knit fair isle hat with 2 balls of worsted weight yarn from your stash! The Chill Out Winter Hat will satisfy process and project knitters alike.

I would like to suggest that you give this yarn a try, you don’t have to invest too much and you will love all 24 colors of Chic Sheep by Marly Bird™ yarn!

Okay, grab your needles and yarn and get started on this Chill Out Winter Hat || Fair Isle Hat with Latvian Braid

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MEASUREMENTS

Finished Measurements

Adult: 21.7” circumference around

Gauge: 18 sts = 4” in stockinette stitch and larger needles

MATERIALS

Yarn: Red Heart Chic Sheep by Marly Bird™ [Art. R170 100% Merino Wool available 3.5 oz (100 g),186 yd (170 m) balls] Poolside (MC) 1 ball, Creme de Mint (CC) 1 ball.

Needles: size 6 (4 mm) 16” circular needles, size 8 (5 mm) 16” circular needles and set of 5 dpn’s.

Notions: Stitch Marker (make your own), Tapestry needle to bury the ends (learn how here)

ABBREVIATIONS

K — Knit

P — Purl

PM — place marker

MC — main color

CC — contrasting color

NOTES

If you want to be sure you have a safety net as you knit, adding a lifeline to your project every so often will be helpful. Just to make sure you have a point to rip back to if something goes wrong. (video help)

When working with two colors on the same row use the Fair Isle technique of changing colors.

Careful when working the stranded knitting, keep the floats with some give or the hat will not fit.

VIDEO

Chill Out Winter Hat || Fair Isle Hat with Latvian Braid

PATTERN

Brim

Using smaller needle, MC and Long Tail Cast-On, cast-on 98 sts, join to work in the round, place marker.

Round 1: Knit

Round 2: *K1, P1; repeat from * around.

Repeat round 2 five times more. (7 rounds total)

Latvian Braid

Round 1: *K1 MC, K1 CC; rep from * around.

This round forms the “base” of your braid. It isn’t visible from the bottom of the braid, but it is the horizontal line of stitches you see in between each round of twists you’re about to create. Traditionally you work the same color on Round 1 as is worked on Round 2, (MC over MC, CC over CC, etc). Bring both yarns to the front of the work.

Round 2: *P1 MC. Bring CC under MC (twisting yarns), P1 CC. Bring MC under CC (twisting yarns); repeat from * around.

Reminder: Do not take the time here to untwist the yarns. They will become untwisted on Rnd 3 when you switch the direction of twist.

Round 3: *P1 MC, bring CC over MC (twisting yarns), P1 CC, bring CC over MC (twisting yarns); rep from * around.

If done correctly, once you have worked every stitch in the round, your two yarns will become totally untwisted, ready to work in whatever patterning is called for on subsequent rounds.

Body

Stitch pattern multiple is 14 sts. There are 7 repeats in this pattern.

With MC and larger needles

Round 1: Knit

Rounds 2 – 41: Follow the chart (below) starting at the bottom and reading from right to left for each round.

Round 42: *K1 CC, K1 MC; repeat from * around.

Crown

Switch to double pointed needles when yarn becomes too tight around circular needles.

Round 1: *K2tog CC, (K1 MC, K1 CC) 5 times, SSK MC; repeat from *6 times more — 14 sts decreased.

Round 2: *K1 MC, K1 CC; repeat from * around.

Round 3: *K2tog MC, (K1 CC, K1 MC) 4 times, SSK CC; repeat from *6 times more — 14 sts decreased.

Round 4: *K1 CC, K1 MC; repeat from * around.

Round 5: *K2tog CC, (K1 MC, K1 CC) 3 times, SSK MC; repeat from *6 times more — 14 sts decreased.

Round 6: *K1 MC, K1, CC; repeat from * around.

Round 7: *K2tog MC, (K1 CC, K1 MC) 2 times, SSK CC; repeat from *6 times more — 14 sts decreased.

Round 8: *K1 CC, K1 MC; repeat from * around.

Round 9: *K2tog CC, K1 MC, K1 CC, SSK MC; repeat from *6 times more — 14 sts decreased.

Round 10: *K1 MC, K1, CC; repeat from * around.

Round 11: *K2tog MC, SSK CC; repeat from *6 times more — 14 sts decreased.

Round 12: *K1 CC, K1, MC; repeat from * around.

Finishing

Cut CC and MC leaving 10” (25.4 cm). Use yarn needle to thread tail through each remaining st knitwise. Pull tail tight to close top. Weave tail in on the wrong side of hat to secure.