Arcane Beanie
Arcane Beanie is a 3-color stranded colorwork project that begins with a unique and beautifully constructed cabled braid with a neat i-cord edge as a brim. Folk art colorwork motifs coupled with a beautiful Autumn Equinox-inspired color palette create a hat that begs to be worn into forests, through mountain paths, and on foraging expeditions. Use #ArcaneBeanie and tag me @JamesNWatts on Instagram and TikTok. Stay in the know about upcoming events and designs by subscribing to my newsletter via JamesNWatts.com
YARN
Ritual Dyes Maven, 50 gr, 100% non-superwash
Rambouillet wool, 265 yds (242 m), in three colors. The
colors in my sample are as follows:
Color A- Oak (brown)
Color B- Cobalt (blue)
Color C- Titanite (green)
These colors have been custom dyed by Ritual Dyes as a part of their limited edition Fall Equinox seasonal offering for 2023. If they are no longer available at the time you are reading this, feel free to use other colors of Ritual Dyes Maven, or use any yarn that you get gauge with. My recommendation is a fingering weight, woolen spun yarn.
GAUGE
32 sts x 34 rows = 4” x 4”, stranded colorwork knit in the
round, blocked.
SIZES
1 (2, 3, 4, 5)
To fit a head circumference within one inch (2.5cm) of:
16 (18, 20, 22, 24)” / 40.5(45.5, 51, 56, 61)cm
This hat is meant to be worn with 1-3” (2.5-7.5cm) of
negative ease and has a finished circumference of:
14 (16, 18, 20, 22)” / 35.5(40.5, 45.5, 51, 56)cm
If you are perfectly between sizes, size down.
From cast on to top of crown, hat measures:
7(8.25, 9, 9, 9)” / 18(21, 24, 24, 24)cm
Adults with average sized heads will fit best in size 4.
NEEDLES AND NOTIONS
• US 4 (3.5mm) 16-inch circular knitting needle.
• Ring stitch marker to mark beginning of round.
• Darning needle for weaving in ends and
finishing crown.
YARDAGE
This hat uses a total of 160(233, 266, 297, 317) yards /
147(213, 243, 271, 290) meters.
The yardage needed by color is as follows:
Color A- 64(95, 106, 117, 127) yards / 78(87, 97, 107,
116) meters
Color B- 48(69, 80, 90, 95) yards / 59(63, 73, 82, 87)
meters
Color C- 48(69, 80, 90, 95) yards / 59(63, 73, 82, 87)
meters
CONSTRUCTION AND TECHNIQUE
This hat is knit in two pieces. The brim is worked
separately, sideways, beginning with a provisional cast
on. The brim features a braided cable motif, and an
i-cord edge. The brim is finished by undoing the
provisional cast on and attaching it to the working edge
using Kitchener stitch. Stitches are picked up and knit around the
circumference of the brim for the remainder of the hat.
The body of the hat is knit using stranded colorwork
technique. Crown shaping uses standard ssk and k2tog
decreases, and the hat is finished by cutting the yarn
and weaving the tail through the remaining live stitches.