Midnight Patch Colourwork Beanie

Jack-o’-lantern & ghost stranded hat — worsted weight

Style: Classic beanie with a firm ribbed brim and a gently domed crown (in the round). Intermediate because of stranded colourwork, float management, and even crown decreases.

Skill level: Intermediate

Sizes

Baby (Child, Adult S/M, Adult L)

To fit head circumference: 16–18 (18–20, 21–23, 23–25) in / 40.5–45.5 (45.5–51, 53.5–58.5, 58.5–63.5) cm

Finished brim circumference (unstretched): 16 (17.5, 19.25, 20.75) in / 40.5 (44.5, 49, 52.5) cm — about 1–2 in negative ease

Finished depth (brim to crown): 6.5 (7.5, 8.5, 9) in / 16.5 (19, 21.5, 23) cm

Shown instructions written for all four sizes; work the numbers for your size throughout.

Yarn

Worsted weight (CYC 4), wool or wool-blend for structure and stitch definition.

MC — Pumpkin orange: 70 (90, 110, 130) yd / 64 (82, 101, 119) m
CC1 — Black: 50 (60, 75, 90) yd / 46 (55, 69, 82) m
CC2 — Ghost white: 35 (45, 55, 65) yd / 32 (41, 50, 59) m

Sample concept: MC body, CC1 brim / facial features / outlining, CC2 ghosts.

Needles

• US 6 / 4 mm circular (16 in / 40 cm) and DPNs (or magic loop) for brim
• US 8 / 5 mm circular (16 in / 40 cm) and DPNs (or magic loop) for body and crown

Or sizes needed to obtain gauge. Use the smaller needle for a firmer brim.

Notions

Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors. Optional: pompom in CC1.

Gauge

20 stitches and 26 rounds = 4 in / 10 cm in stockinette stitch in the round on larger needles, after blocking.
Colourwork gauge should match stockinette; if the stranded fabric pulls in, go up a needle size for the motif band only.

Abbreviations (US)

CO — cast on
k — knit
p — purl
k2tog — knit 2 together
ssk — slip, slip, knit
rnd(s) — round(s)
st(s) — stitch(es)
MC / CC1 / CC2 — main / contrast colours as above
rep — repeat
BO — bind off

Notes

• Worked in the round from brim to crown.
• Carry unused colour loosely on the wrong side. Catch floats every 4–5 stitches. Do not pull floats tight.
• Motifs sit in a band above the brim, on a straight tube — they do not run through crown decreases.
• If a separate colourwork chart is supplied with this pattern, work the band from that chart; the written description below is complete on its own.
• Weave in ends as you change colours when practical.

Colourwork motif (written)

Work the band in stranded stockinette using MC, CC1, and CC2.

Placement: After the brim, work 2 (3, 4, 4) rnds MC, then the motif band, then MC to the start of crown shaping.

Jack-o’-lanterns (MC orange with CC1 black): Repeat pumpkin “lanterns” around the hat. Each lantern is a squat pumpkin shape on an MC ground: a short CC1 stem at the top, a rounded body in MC, and a simple face in CC1 (triangle eyes, triangle or crescent nose, jagged or curved mouth). Leave 2–4 MC stitches between lanterns so they read as separate pumpkins.

Ghosts (CC2 white with CC1 black): Alternate with lanterns, or place a ghost between every two lanterns depending on circumference. Each ghost is a tall white blob with a wavy lower hem (two or three downward scallops) and two small CC1 eyes (optional tiny mouth). Keep ghost width modest so floats stay short.

Background: MC throughout the band except where the motif calls for CC1 or CC2. Optional 1-rnd CC1 “night sky” line above and/or below the band.

Repeat: The combined lantern-and-ghost unit should tile evenly into 80 (88, 96, 104) stitches. If your motif unit is 8 stitches, it repeats 10 (11, 12, 13) times. If it is 16 stitches, it repeats 5 (5.5 — do not use 16 on Child; use an 8-st unit for all sizes, or 8-st lanterns with 8-st ghosts). Use an 8-stitch motif unit for every size so repeats land cleanly: 10 (11, 12, 13) repeats.

Keep any single-colour run longer than 5 stitches broken by catching the float.

Pattern

Brim

With smaller needles and CC1, CO 80 (88, 96, 104) sts. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker for beginning of round.

Work k2, p2 rib for 1.5 in / 4 cm (about 10–12 rnds).

Change to larger needles.

Body

Rnd 1: Knit all sts with MC. 80 (88, 96, 104) sts.

Work 1 (2, 3, 3) more rnds even in MC.

Motif band: Work stranded colourwork as described above (or from a supplied chart if present) for approximately 2.25–2.75 in / 5.5–7 cm (about 14–18 rnds), ending when lanterns and ghosts are complete. Do not begin decreases mid-motif.

Resume MC only. Knit even until piece measures 4.5 (5.25, 6, 6.5) in / 11.5 (13.5, 15, 16.5) cm from CO, or until remaining depth for the crown is about 2 (2.25, 2.5, 2.5) in / 5 (5.5, 6.5, 6.5) cm.

Crown

Change to DPNs (or magic loop) when the circumference is too small for the circular.

Work 8 decrease sections. Markers optional every 10 (11, 12, 13) sts.

Setup (Baby only, 80 sts):
*K8, k2tog; rep from * to end. 8 decreases → 80 − 8 = 72 sts ✓

Setup (Child only, 88 sts):
*K9, k2tog; rep from * to end. 8 decreases → 88 − 8 = 80 sts ✓

Setup (Adult S/M only, 96 sts):
*K10, k2tog; rep from * to end. 8 decreases → 96 − 8 = 88 sts ✓

Setup (Adult L only, 104 sts):
*K11, k2tog; rep from * to end. 8 decreases → 104 − 8 = 96 sts ✓

Next rnd: Knit.

Continue decreasing every other round, then every round, as follows, working all sizes together once stitch counts meet. After each size’s setup, work:

Rnd A: Knit.
Rnd B: *Knit to 2 sts before section end, k2tog; rep from * 8 times. 8 sts decreased.

Repeat Rnds A–B until 40 sts remain:

• Baby: 72 → (knit, dec) 64, 56, 48, 40.
• Child: 80 → 72, 64, 56, 48, 40.
• Adult S/M: 88 → 80, 72, 64, 56, 48, 40.
• Adult L: 96 → 88, 80, 72, 64, 56, 48, 40.

Every-round decreases:
*Knit to 2 sts before section end, k2tog; rep from * around.
40 → 32 → 24 → 16 → 8 sts ✓

Cut yarn, leaving 8 in / 20 cm. Draw tail through remaining 8 sts, pull tight, fasten on the wrong side.

Finishing

Weave in all ends, closing any gaps at colour changes. Wet-block over a balloon or bowl slightly smaller than the finished circumference so the brim stays snug and the colourwork lies flat; do not stretch the brim out. Optional: attach a CC1 pompom at the crown.

Schematic (text)

• Brim: 1.5 in rib, circumference 16 (17.5, 19.25, 20.75) in
• Motif band: ~2.5 in, starting ~0.5–0.75 in above brim
• Total height: 6.5 (7.5, 8.5, 9) in
• Crown: 8-point decrease, remaining 8 sts drawn up