MY DESIGN IDEAS AND ADVICE
The Bempton Hat was such a joy to knit! I combined one strand of aran weight yarn with one strand of Cumulus, and I loved the way these fibres worked together – creating a beautifully soft, yet structured fabric. If you prefer a different look, you can also knit the hat using just aran weight yarn for a softer drape compared to the firmer feel of merino and fluffy yarn held together.

This design came about as a request from a friend, they wanted a Bempton Hat to go with the Bempton Mittens – making a perfect winter set for walking the Dales. The stitch pattern is one of my absolute favourites, one I’ve used on several designs and will keep returning to because it’s such a joy to knit. I hope you love it as much as I do!

CONSTRUCTION
Knitted flat in one piece from the bottom up with one seam.

TECHNIQUES USED
Cast on, knit, purl, one simple cable techniques, decreasing, cast off. Optional but recommended to create the feeling of joy when joining your pieces: mattress stitch.

YARN
One 100g hank of WYS Bluefaced Leicester Aran – Undyed
100% British Bluefaced Leicester wool, 166m/182yds per 100g

SUGGESTED KNITTING NEEDLES
5mm.

NOTIONS
Cable needle.

GAUGE (tension)
22 stitches and 32 rows to 10cm square over cable pattern. I obtained this gauge with 5mm needles.
It is important to obtain gauge so do swatch and change your needle size to achieve the correct gauge if you need to.

SIZE AND FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
To fit average size head due to the nature of the rib pattern & individual gauges the finished circumference can vary from 50cm to 60cm. If the knitter gets the gauge as above the finished circumference will be approx. 55cm.

NEED HELP?
I am here for you! Pop into the Skipton studio, send an email, or check out the Purl &Jane YouTube channel for tips, inspiration and guidance including handy resources like gauge (tension) guides and how to tutorials.