NUSA NUSA Bucket Hat

A cheerful, structured bucket hat knit seamlessly from the brim up, featuring a bold stranded-colorwork band spelling NUSA NUSA around the middle. The flared brim gives classic bucket-hat shape, while the fitted crown keeps it snug. Perfect for an adventurous intermediate knitter ready to practice stranded colorwork in the round.

Finished Size: One adult size, ~21.3" (54 cm) crown circumference (unstretched); fits head circumferences 21–23" (53–58 cm) with light negative ease. Brim width: ~2.5" (6.5 cm). Total height: ~7.5" (19 cm).

Materials

• Main Color (MC): Worsted weight yarn, ~150 yds (137 m) — e.g., a smooth wool or wool blend.
• Contrast Color (CC): Worsted weight yarn, ~60 yds (55 m) for the lettering.
• Needles:
  • US 7 / 4.5 mm 16" (40 cm) circular — for brim ribbing/edge
  • US 8 / 5 mm 16" (40 cm) circular — for main body and colorwork
  • US 8 / 5 mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) — for crown decreases
• Notions: Stitch marker (1), tapestry needle, scrap yarn or spare needle.

Gauge

• 18 sts and 24 rounds = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch in the round on US 8 / 5 mm needles, after blocking.
• Colorwork gauge should match stockinette; swatch your colorwork band if you knit tightly.

Gauge is critical for fit. Take time to swatch in the round.

Abbreviations

• k – knit
• p – purl
• k2tog – knit 2 together (right-leaning decrease)
• ssk – slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
• M1L – make 1 left (increase)
• MC – main color
• CC – contrast color
• pm – place marker
• sm – slip marker
• rnd(s) – round(s)
• st(s) – stitch(es)

Pattern Notes

• The hat is worked bottom-up, in the round, beginning at the outer brim edge, flaring inward to the body, working the colorwork band, then decreasing for the crown.
• The brim is worked in stockinette and will naturally roll/flare; a few purl turning rounds define the brim edge crisply.
• The colorwork band uses stranded (Fair Isle) technique. Keep floats loose and even across the back to prevent puckering — the mid-hat is the most visible section.
• Slip the marker at the beginning of every round.

Attached Stitch Chart

A separate stitch chart panel is attached to this pattern as its own asset. Use that attached chart for the visual grid — it is not reproduced here in the text.

• Placement: The attached chart corresponds to the Colorwork Band section below (worked over 15 rounds on all 96 stitches). Begin reading the chart on the round indicated in that section.
• How to read (knitting, in the round): Every chart row is a right-side round. Read every row from right to left, and work rows from bottom to top. There are no wrong-side rows because the hat is knit in the round.
• Color-change handling: Each chart cell shows either MC or CC. Knit MC stitches with the main color and CC stitches with the contrast color, carrying the unused color loosely across the back (stranded colorwork).
• Repeat/integration math: The chart is charted across the full 96 stitches. The phrase NUSA NUSA is charted with even letter spacing; the beginning-of-round marker aligns with the first stitch (rightmost column) of the chart. No stitch-count change occurs during the band — you enter with 96 sts and exit with 96 sts ✓.
• Yarn management: When a CC float would span more than 5 stitches, catch (twist) the CC behind an MC stitch to secure it. Keep tension relaxed so letters lie flat.

Instructions

Brim

With US 7 / 4.5 mm circular and MC, cast on 120 sts. Pm and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

• Rnds 1–2: Purl all sts. (defines the brim edge)
• Switch to US 8 / 5 mm circular.
• Rnds 3–12: Knit all sts. (10 rnds stockinette; brim measures ~1.7" / 4.3 cm)

Brim decrease (transition to body): Decrease 24 sts evenly to go from 120 to 96 sts.

• Rnd 13: *k3, k2tog; repeat from * to end. (120 − 24 = 96 sts) ✓
  • Math check: 120 ÷ 5 = 24 repeats × 1 decrease each = 24 decreases → 96 sts ✓

Lower Body

• Rnds 14–19: With MC, knit all sts. (6 rnds; ~1" / 2.5 cm of plain body below the lettering)

You now have 96 sts, ready for the colorwork band.

Colorwork Band (NUSA NUSA)

Join CC. Work the 15 rounds of the Attached Stitch Chart over all 96 sts, reading each round from right to left, bottom to top (see the Attached Stitch Chart section).

• Rnds 20–34: Work chart rounds 1–15.
• Enter with 96 sts, exit with 96 sts ✓. Break CC after the final chart round; weave in later.

Upper Body

• Rnds 35–40: With MC only, knit all sts. (6 rnds; ~1" / 2.5 cm above lettering)

You have 96 sts.

Crown Shaping

Work with MC. Switch to DPNs when the stitches no longer fit comfortably on the circular. The crown is worked in 8 sections of 12 sts each (96 ÷ 8 = 12 ✓).

• Rnd 1: *k10, k2tog; rep from * to end. (96 − 8 = 88 sts) ✓
• Rnd 2: Knit.
• Rnd 3: *k9, k2tog; rep from * to end. (88 − 8 = 80 sts) ✓
• Rnd 4: Knit.
• Rnd 5: *k8, k2tog; rep from * to end. (80 − 8 = 72 sts) ✓
• Rnd 6: Knit.
• Rnd 7: *k7, k2tog; rep from * to end. (72 − 8 = 64 sts) ✓
• Rnd 8: *k6, k2tog; rep from * to end. (64 − 8 = 56 sts) ✓
• Rnd 9: *k5, k2tog; rep from * to end. (56 − 8 = 48 sts) ✓
• Rnd 10: *k4, k2tog; rep from * to end. (48 − 8 = 40 sts) ✓
• Rnd 11: *k3, k2tog; rep from * to end. (40 − 8 = 32 sts) ✓
• Rnd 12: *k2, k2tog; rep from * to end. (32 − 8 = 24 sts) ✓
• Rnd 13: *k1, k2tog; rep from * to end. (24 − 8 = 16 sts) ✓
• Rnd 14: *k2tog; rep from * to end. (16 − 8 = 8 sts) ✓

8 sts remain.

Finishing

1. Close the crown: Break yarn, leaving an 8" (20 cm) tail. Thread the tail through a tapestry needle, run it through the remaining 8 sts, pull snug to close the hole, and secure on the inside.
2. Weave in ends: Weave in all MC and CC tails on the wrong side. Along the colorwork band, weave CC ends into stitches of the same color to keep the front tidy.
3. Block: Wet-block the hat. Soak in cool water with wool wash, gently squeeze out excess (do not wring), and shape over a bowl or balloon roughly the size of the intended head. Smooth the colorwork band flat and even out any float tension. Let dry completely.
4. Optional: For a firmer brim, run a single line of matching thread or fine wire around the purl turning rounds — not required for wear.

Quick Numbers Summary

• Cast on: 120 sts → brim → decrease to 96 sts → colorwork band (96 sts) → crown decrease to 8 sts → closed. ✓
• All decrease rounds verified to land exactly on target counts. ✓

Enjoy your NUSA NUSA bucket hat!