About Warm and Easy Hat

Designed by Kate Atherley, the Warm and Easy Hat is an ideal project for beginners to practice their knit stitches and working in the round. The beanie is a wardrobe staple and ideal for a first knitting project! This small project is relatively quick to knit and perfect for learning to knit in the round, work ribbing and get decreases down. With clear illustrated instructions and a full range of tutorials, the Warm and Easy Hat will help guide newbie knitters to build confidence and skills. It is also a lovely option for more experienced knitters who appreciate clean, minimalist design, and relaxing knitting with beautiful, affordable yarns. This kit is for a colourblock version of the hat in the &Make Aran yarn. Kits are also available for colourblock versions of the &Make DK Warm and Easy Hat and &Make Super Bulky Warm and Easy Hat.

The Warm and Easy Hat is worked in the round, from the brim up to the crown. You will begin by casting on the contrast colour and then working the brim with knit 1, purl 1 ribbing in that colour. When the brim is finished, change your knitting yarn to your main colour working the body of the hat in Stockinette Stitch — knitting every round. When the body is finished, you will work decreases in the crown until just a few stitches are left. Secure the stitches, weave in the ends, block your hat, and voila! Your first hat is ready to wear!

Introducing: &Make from The Fibre Co.

&Make is a range of yarn for stitchers at every stage of their crafting journey, made with 100% natural, sustainable fibres from renewable sources in a stunning full palette of cheerful brights and nuanced shades created by overdyeing a range of naturally light and dark coloured fibres. This new range of yarns launches with 3 clean, minimalist designs ideal for beginners in Super Bulky, Aran and DK-weight yarns.

With a choice of weights, you will find the perfect yarn for your crafting dreams: be it the plump, round stitches of our Super Bulky created with a single-ply of 100% Peruvian Highland wool for a high-quality, totally natural yarn at an affordable price which works up with satisfying speed and remarkably light weight, or our 2-ply Aran made with a blend of super soft alpaca and Peruvian Highland wool which provides a satisfyingly ‘sticky’ yarn fantastic for keeping stitches on needles for beginners, or our 2-ply DK, with fantastically crisp stitch definition for those beautiful textured stitch patterns with a blend of Peruvian Highland wool, super soft alpaca and a bit of linen to add lovely drape.

These accessible yarns are designed to bring joy to every stitch of your sweater, accessory, or homeware project.

Kit contents:

• Free PDF of Warm and Easy Hat knitting pattern by Kate Atherley
• 1 ball of your first colour choice of &Make Aran and 1 ball of your second colour choice (2 balls in total). Fibre content: 50% Highland wool, 50% alpaca. Length: 150 m (164 yd) per 100 g ball
• &Make Project Bag from The Fibre Co.

Colour:

The photos show the main colour in the grey shade Silver Screen. The contrast colour is shown in the green shade Borealis Bash.

Choose your &Make Aran hat main colour from the first set of colours and the contrast colour from the second set of colours.

Size:

The kit includes enough yarn to make the following sizes:

&Make Aran – Sizes 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) with finished measurements:
Circumference: 36 (40, 47, 51, 56, 60) cm / 14 (16, 18.5, 20.5, 22, 24) inches
Height: 15 (18, 20, 22, 23, 25) cm / 6 (7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10) inches

To choose your size, take your actual head circumference measurement and subtract 0 to 5 cm (0 to 2 inches) for ‘negative ease’, and to make the hat fit comfortably.

Recommended ease:

Designed to be worn with 0 to 5 cm (0 to 2 inches) negative ease at brim.

You will also need:

Ribbing Needles:

• 4mm (US 6) circular needles in a length that is smaller than the finished circumference of your hat

Main Needles:

• 5mm (US 8) circular needles in a length that is smaller than the finished circumference of your hat
• 5mm (US 8) circular needles or double-pointed needles for working a small circumference in the round

Note: you may want to use bigger/smaller needles depending on your swatch gauge, as described in the Gauge section.

Stitch Markers

• 1 stitch marker to remind you where the round begins, and 1 removable stitch marker

Darning Needle

• A darning needle to weave in ends

Notes:

You can also purchase items in this kit separately: Warm and Easy Hat knitting pattern, &Make Aran yarn and &Make Project Bag from The Fibre Co.

We also have a fantastic 3-part series of free online knitting classes with Kate Atherley to help you knit the Warm and Easy Hat! All three classes were recorded and are available to view on YouTube here.