Dogwalker's Hat

Here’s to the dogs in our lives that drag us out the door in every kind of weather. Here’s to walking in summer heat and winter cold. To potty training in the yard at 3:00am, and to slow evening strolls with a faithful grey-muzzled companion. And here’s to you, dog owners, for wearing all the layers so that your four legged friends can go bounding through the snow drifts in the teeth of a blizzard.

This stranded hat is intended to fit with zero to minimal ease through the colourwork, with a folded brim for consistent two-layer warmth through the entire piece. Finish the piece plain to fit under a parka hood, or add a pompom for a jaunty stand alone topper. Also appropriate for non-dog folks whose life brings them outdoors in winter.

Size instructions are formatted as small (medium, large) throughout the pattern.

Materials Needed:

• @120 yards (140, 165 yards) heavy worsted weight yarn in Main Colour
• @40 yards (46, 56 yards) heavy worsted weight yarn in Contrast Colour
• 4mm (US 6) circular needle/dpns or size required to achieve gauge
• 3.5mm (US 4) circular needles/dpns or 0.5mm smaller than gauge needle (this may be one or two US needle sizes depending upon the size of the first needle)
• a stitch marker to mark the end/beginning of each round
• additional stitch markers to mark motif repeats (optional)
• a pompom (optional)

Estimated Finished Sizes (measured with brim folded):

small = @8.25” tall by 20.5” circumference

medium = @9” tall by 22.5” circumference

large = @10” tall by 24.5” circumference

For a shorter or taller hat, omit or increase colourwork rounds in multiples of four before working the decrease rounds. Changing the height of the piece will change the amount of yarn required.

Instruction Style:

This pattern is fully written; use of written instructions is optional.

This pattern is fully charted; use of charted instructions is optional.

A Note On Gauge:

Gauge is measured over the stranded motif after gentle blocking. Be sure to work your swatch in the round, as colourwork gauge worked flat vs in the round can be quite different.