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Painted Sky Hat
Explore the stunning colors of our self-striping Novella yarn in our Painted Sky Hat pattern, swirling and shifting like a watercolor wash that spans from horizon to horizon!
No tricky colorwork here… The beautiful yarn and a simple slip-stitch pattern do all the work in this easy knit. Watch your painted sky fill with streaks of unexpected color and wisps of cloud as you alternate rounds between Novella’s solid Heirloom White (knitting the white stitches and slipping the colorful ones) and the self-striping color of your choice (purling the colorful stitches and slipping the white).
You’ll find Novella a hard yarn to put down, as you wonder what comes next in its sequence of colors. Each “self-striping” color is dyed in a multicolored pattern that forms repeating stripes as you knit—thicker ones over fewer stitches and skinnier ones over more. The circumference of the hat is small enough that broad swaths of color form as you knit round and round, broken up by clean vertical stripes in Heirloom White.
Novella has an additional twist… Rather than a simple series of colors, two colors are spun together throughout Novella’s multicolor repeat, so every passage is softly marled for painterly depth and complexity. Made of cloud-soft fine merino wool with a touch of mulberry silk, this sport-weight yarn is also an absolute pleasure to knit and a dream to wear.
We chose colors for our Painted Sky Hats that called to mind radiant sunset skies, clear sunny days, and golden hour glow… But we could have easily kept going and tried out all nine of Novella’s incredible colors!
Just as the sky is never quite the same one day to the next, no two Painted Sky Hats will ever be identical… Choose the color of Novella you’d love to see unfold on your own needles and cast on with your head in the clouds!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Pattern originally designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton, and updated for Novella by Purl Soho co-owner, Jen Hoverson Jahnke.
Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- Purl Soho’s Novella, 92% extra fine merino and 8% mulberry silk. Each ball of this sport-weight yarn is 142 yards/ 50 grams.
- Main Color (MC): 1 (1, 1, 1, 1) ball; approximately 60 (70, 95, 115, 140) total yards required
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 (1, 1, 1, 2) ball(s); approximately 65 (80, 110, 130, 155) total yards required
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you are making
- A set of US 7 double pointed needles OR US 7, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
- Stitch markers, including one unique
We used the following colors for our samples…
- Heirloom White for MC and Sea Urchin for CC (Baby size)
- Heirloom White for MC and Fall Dahlias for CC (Adult Small size)
- Heirloom White for MC and Desert Ridge for CC (Adult Small size)
GAUGE
32 stitches and 27 round pairs (54 rounds) = 4 inches in stitch pattern
NOTE: When you count rounds, each round you see is actually 2 rounds worked, i.e. a “round pair.”
SIZES
For help choosing a hat size, check out our complete guide on How to Knit the Right Hat Size!
Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference: 13 (15, 17, 19, 21) inches, comfortably stretching to approximately 15 (17½, 20, 22, 24½) inches
- Finished Height: 6¼ (7¼, 8¾, 9½, 10½) inches from rolled edge
NOTES
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise with yarn in back.
S2KP (SLIP 2, KNIT 1, PASS SLIPPED STITCH OVER)
Slip two stitches together knitwise with yarn in back, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over knit stitch and off right needle. [2 stitches decreased]
For additional help, please visit out S2KP tutorial.
PATTERN
BODY
With Contrast Color (CC), cast 104 (120, 136, 152, 168) stitches onto circular needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: With Main Color (MC), *k1, slip 1 (see Notes), repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: With CC, *slip 1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 4¾ (5½, 6¾, 7¼, 8) inches from cast-on edge, unrolled, ending with Round 1.
SHAPE CROWN
NOTE: Change to double pointed needles or 32-inch circular needles for magic loop when necessary.
Set-Up Round: With CC, *[slip 1, p1] 13 (15, 17, 19, 21) times, place marker, repeat from * to end of round, omitting final marker. [4 markers placed, including unique end-of-round marker]
Round 1: With MC, [slip slip knit (ssk), *k1, slip 1, repeat from * to 4 stitches before next marker, k1, knit 2 together (k2tog), slip 1, slip marker (sm)] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]
Round 2: With CC, [slip 2, *p1, slip 1, repeat from * to 4 stitches before next marker, p1, slip 2, p1, sm] 4 times.
Round 3: With MC, [ssk, *slip 1, k1, repeat from * to 4 stitches before next marker, slip 1, k2tog, slip 1, sm] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]
Round 4: With CC, *slip 1, p1, repeat from * to end of round, slipping markers as you come to them.
Repeat Rounds 1–4 three (4, 5, 6, 7) more times, then repeat Round 1 one more time. [32 stitches remain]
Round 5: With CC, *slip 2, p1, slip 1, p1, slip 2, p1, sm, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 6: With MC, *ssk, slip 1, k1, slip 1, k2tog, slip 1, sm, repeat from * to end of round. [24 stitches remain]
Round 7: With CC, *slip 1, p1, repeat from * to end of round, slipping markers as you come to them.
Round 8: With MC, *ssk, k1, k2tog, slip 1, sm, repeat from * to end of round. [16 stitches remain]
Round 9: With CC, *slip 3, p1, sm, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 10: With MC, *s2kp (see Notes), slip 1, sm, repeat from * to end of round. [8 stitches remain]
Round 11: Repeat Round 7.
Cut CC.
Round 12: With MC, knit to end of round, removing all markers as you come to them.
Cut MC, leaving an 8-inch tail. Thread tail onto tapestry needle and draw through remaining stitches twice. Pull taut and insert needle through top of crown to inside of hat.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and block as desired.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Novella + All Our Beautiful Yarns
The beauty of Novella is in its creative possibilities! A specially dyed self-striping yarn, Novella is always surprising to knit, with stripe following colorful stripe. And more… Its plies are two subtly different colors, adding depth and fascination to every stitch. Made in Italy, Novella is a sport-weight yarn, made with 92% extra fine merino wool, the softest merino there is, plus 8% mulberry silk. The merino lends body and bounce to the yarn (and fun to your knitting experience!), while the silk adds luster to its surface and also beauty to its drape. Combine more than one color, stripe it with a solid color, change directions… Novella is asking to play!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of free Novella knitting patterns and cast on!
More Sport-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of sport-weight yarns (What is sport-weight yarn, really? Learn all about sport-weight yarn in our deep-dive article!)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop merino wool yarn
- Shop silk yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of free knitting patterns) and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 55 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
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Beautiful hat!
Is US 7 the right suggested needle size for the pattern using sport weight yarn? I know I need to swatch but I feel I would start with a smaller needle.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I’m so glad the Painted Sky Hat caught your eye, and I’m happy to help clarify.
This hat is knit with a slip-stitch colorwork pattern to create the vertical stripes. This often lends to a denser, stiffer fabric, so we went up a few needle sizes to loosen the gauge. I would suggest knitting and blocking a gauge swatch with the recommended needles first. Our gauge measurements are provided for blocked swatches, and matching gauge is the best way to ensure your hat will be the same size as the sample. It’s also the perfect time to check in on whether you love the density of the fabric you’re making.
I hope this helps you get started with confidence! Please feel free to reach out anytime.
All the best,
Hills
Love this hat and the color surprises.
I don’t want that “slouchy” look on the crowd. How do I avoid it?
Hi Carol,
Thank you so much for reaching out with your kindness! We’re so thrilled to see you love the Painted Sky Hat, and I’m happy to help you consider the ease.
I would always suggest knitting and blocking a gauge swatch, both to check your gauge against the sample to ensure the same size and to check whether you love the fabric you’re knitting up. If it’s a closer fit at the top of the hat you’re after, you could reduce the length for which you knit the body for before starting your decreases. In the body section, you’re instructed to repeat Rows 1 and 2 for a specific amount of length, and that’s the spot where you would want to make your modification.
I hope this helps point you in the right direction! Feel free to reach out anytime.
Happy knitting,
Hills
I would like to make this hat shorter, without the pouf on top. Do you have a suggestion of long I should knit the body? Thank you.
Hello Barb,
Thank you so much for reaching out about the Painted Sky Hat!
This sounds like a great idea! I would suggest knitting the body for 3¾ (4½, 5¼, 6, 6½) inches from the cast-on if you would like a shorter hat. For reference, that’s the length of our Simply Hemmed Hat (after making the hemmed edge and before decreasing).
I hope this helps you get started! Feel free to reach back out with any other questions you might have!
Kindly,
Hills
Hi,
Love this pattern! I have a new baby great-nephew with two older siblings. I’d love to knit one of these hats in baby size, one in toddler size and one in kid size. How many balls of Novella should I purchase and how many of the solid color?
Hi Deb,
Thank you so much for reaching out with your kind words! Congratulations on welcoming your new great-nephew! We’re so glad to see you’re loving the Painted Sky Hat, and I’m excited to help you plan for this thoughtful project.
If you’d like to make one in each of the first 3 sizes, you would need 225 yards of Main Color (solid) and 255 Yards of the contrast color. You should be able to achieve this with 2 balls of each! You might consider picking up an extra ball of each to account for the tails you’ll need to weave in. It’s unlikely you would need it, but better to have it just in case! We’ll gladly accept unused yarn at [email protected].
If you would prefer to work each hat in different colors, the materials are listed for each size below (I’ve removed the larger sizes for ease) Each hat, in different colors, would require one ball of each:
I hope you love the project, and the recipients adore their hats! Feel free to reach out anytime.
All the best,
Hills
Thank you so much for this pattern. I have my eye on the yarn I want to make this with.
Hi Dorian,
Yay! We’re so glad to see you’re excited to start the Painted Sky Hat!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have as you knit.
All the best,
Hills
Hi, I love the look of this hat but would like to make it with a rib pattern to begin and then switch to the actual pattern. Do you think that is possible? Any advice?
Hi Amanda,
Great question! Though I haven’t seen anyone work the hat with ribbing to begin with, it can certainly be done. You can either work the brim of the hat in the main color for a solid pop, or you could work two color corrugated ribbing. While we don’t have any tutorials on our site for this technique, a simple search in your preferred search engine should pop up a number of tutorials.
I hope this helps, and happy knitting!
All the best,
Mia
I absolutely love the colors and the style and the yarn in this hat! However, I never wear hats. Would it be possible to knitted as a cowl or a scarf?
Hi Stormie,
We’re so excited that you love the Painted Sky Hat as much as we do! You could definitely knit it into a cowl or scarf! In fact, the hat is based on our free Corrugated Hat + Cowl pattern.
Happy knitting!
Mia