How to Knit a Voyager Hat

A voyager hat is a long hat knitted in the round with a doubled-over brim and a large-sized tassel on the end, which comes to a point. The doubled-over brim is designed to allow the hat to fit snugly on the head. The length of the cap should be long enough that it folds over, tassel hanging down.

Things You'll Need

• Light sport weight yarn
• Circular knitting needles in 0 size
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch markers
• Tassel

Instructions

Brim

1. Begin with a provisional cast on, casting a total of 130 stitches onto circular needles. Distribute stitches evenly across circular needles. Complete a total of 32 rounds of 130 stitches using the knit stitch to create the initial brim. Purl two additional rounds of 130 stitches for the creation of a fold line.

2. Complete an additional 32 rounds of 130 stitches each, using only the knit stitch to create the remainder of the brim. The initial 32 rounds of knitting serve as the self-facing, while the second set of 32 rounds of knitting serves as the outside of the brim.

3. Disconnect the provisional cast on, threading the stitches onto a spare set of circular knitting needles. Fold the work at the point where two sets of purl stitches were made with the purled sides on the inside of the work piece. Knit around a row, with each stitch knitted using the active set of needles until all 130 stitches are on the active needles with a completely fused brim.

Decrease

1. Continue the knitting process using stockinette, which involves alternating between a row of knitting and a row of purling until the end of the piece. Complete 8 inches of stockinette stitch before beginning the decrease. On the final round before the decreasing begins, a stitch marker should be inserted at each 26th stitch.

2. Begin the decreasing process by knitting 24 stitches, then knitting two stitches together. By the time the row is completed, 125 stitches should remain. Knit 10 rounds of 125 stitches. On round 12, knit 23 stitches, and then knit two stitches together so that by the end of the row, only 120 stitches remain on the needles.

3. Knit an additional 10 rounds, this time knitting only 120 stitches with each round. Upon reaching round 23, knit 22 stitches, then knit two stitches together, until the end of the round is reached and only 115 stitches remain. Continue this process, knitting 10 full rounds, then knitting a reduction round by reducing the number of knit stitches by one between each K2tog, or Knit-2-Together, until only 110 stitches remain.

4. Knit 5 full rounds, then knit 19 stitches, knit two stitches together, and repeat until 105 stitches remain. Knit 5 rounds, then on round 63 knit 17 stitches, then two stitches together, until only 100 stitches remain in the round. Repeat this process again, knitting 5 rounds, then knitting 15 stitches and two together until 90 stitches remain. Repeat the decreasing process in this way until only 55 stitches remain.

5. Continue the decreasing process, decreasing to two full knit rounds between decreasing rounds for the duration of the pattern. Decrease the number of stitches knit between K2tog stitches until 35 stitches remain on the circular needles. At this point, switch to alternating between a knit stitch and a K2tog stitch until there are only a few stitches remaining, creating a point at the tip of the voyager hat. Thread the tail of the yarn onto a tapestry needle, gathering up the remaining stitches and sewing on an optional tassel. Bind the top together with a strong knot and thread the end of the yarn back into the hat.

References

• Knitting a Liberty Hat
• Head Huggers