The Foothills Hat

The Foothills Hat by Camilyn Crane

What Is Being Made

The Foothills Hat is an intermediate-level knitted hat designed by Camilyn Crane. This project creates a finished hat suitable for everyday wear, featuring textured stitch work and cable details that add visual interest and depth to the design.

Yarn and Materials

This hat requires 110 yards (100 meters) of bulky weight yarn. The pictured sample uses Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky in Camel from Knit Picks, which is 100% superwash wool with each skein weighing 100g and measuring 137 yards per 125 meters. The yarn weight category allows for quick knitting and creates a warm, substantial finished garment.

Needles and Tools

Knitters will need 5mm (US size 8) circular needles measuring 16 inches (40 cm), or the size required to obtain proper gauge. Double-pointed needles (DPNs) are also required for completing the crown decreases of the hat. A cable needle (CN) is necessary for working the cable stitches that feature in the hat's design.

Gauge

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 20 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Jute stitch, which forms the body of the hat. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the proper finished hat size and fit.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Foothills Hat employs several intermediate knitting techniques that add texture and visual interest:

• Jute Stitch – Forms the primary textured fabric of the hat's body, creating a dense, visually appealing surface
• Cable Stitches – The pattern includes right-leaning cable crosses, worked using a cable needle to create twisted rope-like textures. These are notated as 1/1RC (slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold in back, knit 1, then knit 1 from cable needle) and 1/1RPC variations
• Decreases – The pattern uses ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases, which lean toward the left and create a neat, finished appearance when shaping the crown
• Basic Stitches – Knit (k) and purl (p) stitches form the foundation of the stitch patterns
• Slip Stitches – The pattern includes sl1 wyif (slip 1 stitch knitwise with yarn in front) for edge definition and stitch manipulation
• Circular Knitting – The hat is worked in the round from the brim upward, as indicated by BOR (beginning of round) references, creating a seamless construction

Pattern Notes

The yardage requirement of 110 yards is based on the pattern as written. Any adjustments made to the hat's dimensions or stitch patterns will affect the total yardage needed. The superwash treatment of the recommended yarn makes this hat easy to care for and suitable for regular wear.