Along These Lines combines two contrasting colors in a bold stranded-colorwork hat. Inspired by a class at TKGA’s Next Level Conference, I designed it as a way to explore ladderback jacquard in a manageable, wearable project.

Ladderback jacquard creates small columns of stitches behind the colorwork to secure long floats without catching them into the front fabric. It’s a useful technique to add to your stranded-knitting skills.

The hat is worked in the round from the bottom up, beginning with a short 1x1 ribbed brim. The charted colorwork forms the body, followed by a shaped crown with a contrasting-color finish. Choose two colors with a clear contrast to highlight the design.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Working stranded colorwork from a chart

Managing long floats with ladderback jacquard

Following chart markings for starting, continuing, and ending ladderback stitches

Working a stretchy cast-on, with a tutorial link for the Old Norwegian cast-on

Shaping a crown with knit-two-together decreases

SIZES AND FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

XS (S, M, L, 1X)

Circumference: 17 (19, 20.75, 22.75, 24.5) inches

Height: 7.75 (8, 9, 9.75, 9.75) inches

Measurements are for the finished hat, not the wearer’s head circumference.

YARN

Worsted-weight yarn in two contrasting colors.

Sample yarn: Purl Soho Hedgerow, 93% Merino Wool / 3.5% Cashmere / 3.5% Mulberry Silk, 243 yds / 222 m per 100 g skein.

Main Color: Persimmon Red
Contrasting Color: Heirloom White

The pattern lists one skein of each color for all sizes. These are purchase quantities, rather than the actual amount used.

NEEDLES

US 5 / 3.75 mm for the colorwork and US 3 / 3.25 mm for the ribbing, or sizes needed to obtain gauge.

Circular needles suitable for the hat circumference, plus double-pointed needles or your preferred method for working the crown.

GAUGE

19 sts and 21 rounds = 4 inches / 10 cm in Along These Lines colorwork pattern on larger needles.

SKILLS NEEDED

Knitting and purling in the round, stranded colorwork, reading a colorwork chart, ladderback jacquard, and knit-two-together decreases. Some sizes also use a make-one-left increase.

PUBLICATION HISTORY

Along These Lines was originally published in the Winter 2025–2026 issue of Cast On, The Knitting Guild Association’s magazine. The pattern rights have since returned to me, and the hat is now available directly from Top of the World Knits.

PATTERN SUPPORT

If you have questions while knitting, please contact me at joy@topoftheworldknits.com.

Photos by: The Knitting Guild Association