Envelope Hat

Envelope Hat by Haloopa Joop

What is Being Made

The Envelope Hat is an intermediate-level knitted hat designed by Haloopa Joop. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a finished hat using the distinctive envelope construction technique, where the hat is knitted inside-out and then turned right-side-out through a corner opening, eliminating the need for traditional seaming.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques suitable for intermediate knitters:

• Ribbed Cuff: The hat begins with a K2, P2 (knit 2, purl 2) rib worked flat for 1.5 inches, creating an elastic, fitted edge
• Increase Shaping: Strategic increases using the make-one (M1) technique transition the piece from 116 stitches to 145 stitches, expanding the fabric from the ribbed cuff to the main body
• Cable Fabric Pattern: The primary design element features a repeating cable pattern worked in the round, creating textured columns of twisted stitches
• Circular Knitting: The main body is worked in the round using circular needles, which is efficient for hat construction
• Three-Needle Bind Off: Rather than traditional seaming, the hat uses a three-needle bind off technique to close the top, contributing to the envelope construction method
• Turning Technique: The finished hat is turned inside-out through a corner opening and secured by threading yarn through the created corner, a unique finishing approach

Stitches Used

The Envelope Hat incorporates fundamental and intermediate stitches:

• Knit (K): The primary stitch used throughout the pattern
• Purl (P): Used in the K2, P2 ribbing and as part of the cable fabric pattern structure
• Make-One (M1): An increase stitch used to shape the hat from the cuff to the body
• Cable Stitches: The pattern features C4B (cable 4 back) and C4F (cable 4 front) stitches, which create the distinctive twisted cable columns. These stitches are worked using a cable needle and appear in alternating rows of the repeating cable fabric pattern

Cable Fabric Pattern Detail

The cable fabric pattern is an 8-row repeat worked in the round:

• Rows 1 and 2: Knit
• Row 3: *K2, C4B; repeat from * to end
• Rows 4, 5, and 6: Knit
• Row 7: *C4F, K2; repeat from * to end
• Row 8: Knit

This pattern is continued until the hat body reaches 8.25 inches in length, with the final cable fabric section ending after completing row 6 of the pattern repeat.

Materials and Tools

The Envelope Hat pattern calls for specific materials suited to DK weight yarn work:

• Yarn: 1/50g of Rowan Felted Tweed DK, a DK weight yarn that provides structure and drape appropriate for this hat design
• Needles: 3.25mm double-pointed needles (DPN) for the ribbed cuff, with stitches distributed as 39, 39, and 38 stitches across three needles. A 3.5mm circular needle measuring 40cm is used for the main body worked in the round
• Cable Needle: A 3.5mm cable needle is required to work the cable stitches (C4B and C4F)
• Stitch Marker: A 3.25mm stitch marker placed at the end of the row to mark the beginning of the cable fabric pattern rounds

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty. While it uses fundamental stitches like knit and purl, the combination of cable work, circular knitting, and the unique envelope construction technique with three-needle bind off makes it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic garter stitch projects.