There are no officially marked trails in the woods near my home, but many feet and bikes have nevertheless found their way through the tangle of trees and brush. Over many years, these travels have sculpted a network of visible paths. Even among routes traveling essentially the same direction, some cross, some converge, and some meander nearby one another without ever meeting at all. These markings in the forest floor are a living history of our community’s movements, of where we found common ways and where we diverged.

The Veien Hat is inspired by this shared space, where so many people walked individually, but, also, together. The hat is worked in the round from the hem to the crown. It is a basic, slouchy, stockinette hat—except for a five-inch wide patch where the ribbed hem transitions into a strong and graceful stitch motif of cables and twists. In that space, knitted paths wander across the surface until, at last, they converge in the crown shaping, which integrates into the cabled design for a seamless transition and a little wink of knitterly magic.

Veien Hat is designed to hold close to your ears for warmth but with a bit of extra length for a little stylish slouch. The pattern includes written and charted instructions in three sizes, and it is further customizable in increments of eight stitches, so you can knit the perfect fit. Worked in Mint Rain’s Sport Sock, a warm and hearty Merino blend, the fabric is perfect for transition seasons, lightweight but snuggly.

Whether you’re facing a change or just in love with the possibilities, Veien Hat will move you where you want to go.

Fit: Designed to be worn close to the ears but with a little extra length for a slouchy, comfortable look.

Sizes: 16(18.5, 21) inches around. All sizes are 10 inches tall.

Modifications: The circumference is easy to modify; the pattern is built on an 8-stitch repeat, and it can be easily adjusted (at gauge) in approximately 1-inch increments. The hat’s height can easily be modified by working more or fewer rows of ribbing at the brim. Alternately, a bold knitter could work an additional repeat of rows 29-40, or omit those rounds, for a change of about 1.5 inches. Any of these suggested modifications could require more than the stated yardage.

Yarn: Mint Rain’s Sport Sock, in the Copper Harbor colorway.

Yardage: Without modifications, approximately 180(210, 240) yards of sport-weight yarn.

Instructions: The pattern includes both charted and fully written out instructions.

Needles: Size 3 (3.25 mm) needles for working in the round over a small number of stitches.

Skills Used: Knitting in the round, basic increases, basic decreases. Additionally, one-by-one cables and a twist stitch, all of which are explained in the pattern.

Extras: Two stitch markers and a tapestry needle.

Thanks: To CH, notorious hat model and bastion of badassery.