Diamond Colorwork Hat Pattern

Materials:  Medium or heavy worsted yarn, two colors.

Needles:  US6 /4 mm or size to get gauge.  Circular or DPN- hat is knit in the round.

Gauge:  5 st/in

Sizes:  Small (19.2 in circumference)/Large (21.6 in circumference)

Instructions:  Cast on 96 (108) stitches.  Join in the round, being careful not to twist. 

Abbreviations:

K1 tbl- knit one through the back loop

MC- Main color

CC- contrast color

Ribbing:  Work in twisted rib for 1 ½ inches.  (K1 tbl, P1) repeat.

Before start of pattern:   Knit two rounds in MC.

Pattern rounds:  Work pattern from chart, repeat 8 (9) times.  Switch to MC after chart ends.  When hat is 6 (6 ½ inches  long (including ribbing), start crown decreases.

Note:  When you reach the last stitch of each round, slip it as if to knit, pick up the first stitch of the previous round as if to knit, pass the last stitch of the current round back to the left needle,  and knit it together through the back loop  with the last stitch.  The last stitch will be on top of the first stitch of the previous round.  This will add a little bulk at the end of the round, but will eliminate a jog in the pattern.

 

Crown decreases:

Round 1: K10, K2tog, repeat

Round 2 and every even round:  Knit

Round 3:  K9, K2tog, repeat

Round 5: K8, K2tog, repeat

Round 7: K7, K2tog, repeat

Round 9:  K6, K2tog, repeat

Round 11:  K5, K2tog, repeat

Round 13: K5, K2tog, repeat

Round 15: K4, K2tog, repeat

Round 17: K3, K2tog, repeat

Round 19: K2, K2tog, repeat

Round 21:  K2tog, repeat

Cut yarn leaving 8 inch tail.  Thread on needle and draw yarn tightly through all remaining stitches twice.  Knot, and weave in all ends.

Pompom:  Wrap both colors of yarn double-stranded around a 3.25" stiff piece of cardboard 50 times.  Tie tightly around the middle of the bundle leaving long tail (for fastening to hat).  Snip through all loops, and trim uneven ends to make rounded shape.  Thread each end of the tail through the top center of the hat, tie, and weave in ends. 

Alternate colorwork pattern:  After seeing the first version, I thought I might like the smaller row of diamonds on top, so here' s the chart for that version.  In the larger size, there's enough real estate for two rows of the small diamonds without interfering with the decreases, so one could do a row of small diamonds on each side if preferred. 

Link to print-friendly pdf of pattern.

Enormous thanks to the charming and talented Valerie of WanderingCatStudio for test knitting this pattern.