This knitting pattern is of red squirrels and acorns design. The hat is knitted in 4-ply on a circular needle and then onto double-pointed needles as you decrease for the hat’s crown. There is a coloured rib which starts the pattern and then takes you to the main body of the pattern. There are 2 clear, colourful charts to show the squirrel pattern with the hat’s main body and the crown’s decreasing (This is done by k2tog).

Measurements
Finished size - when laid out flat, 22 cm (8.5”) in height and 25.5 cm (10”) across the rib. Height can be added by increasing rounds on the rib. Circumference: 52cm (20.5”) to 58cm (23”)

Tension
Stocking Stitch: 28 sts x 36 rows – 10cm x 10cm/ 4” x 4 (Fair Isle can vary in tension, so please do a tension square, yes we all hate doing them )

Materials
The hat is knitted in the round with a 60cm 3.25 mm circular needle and 5 x 3.25 mm double-pointed needles.

Suggestions of yarn:
Opal Uni 4ply - Colour A - 5189 Camel
Colour B - 5192 Dark Brown
Colour C - 9941 Rust Brown

These are 100g balls of yarn, you will only need approximately 25g of each colour.

Any leftover yarn would be ideal for a sock project. :) To sew in the few ends, you will need a stitch marker and a sewing-up needle.

The pattern can be altered to add length by adding extra rounds on the rib if needed.