Learn to Knit Fair Isle – Baby or Adult Cap

Learn the tricks of working fair isle colorwork in this quick-knit cap; including using circular needles, chart reading, keeping good tension, and using double-pointed needles. Pattern includes links to three instructional videos to get you through the tricky parts.

Sizes: Baby size – about 14” around (stretches to about 16”), Adult size – about 18” around (stretches to about 22”)

Materials Needed:
• Yarn: Two colors of worsted-weight yarn, Cascade 220 or Cascade 220 Superwash are perfect. Less than 60 grams of main color for either size hat, and less than 15 of contrasting color.
• Needles: Size 7 US 16” circular needles and size 7 US double-pointed needles
• Additional Materials: stitch marker, tapestry needle
• Gauge: 5.5 sts/inch

Pattern + links to three instructional videos is $6.00 via PayPal.

47 comments on “Learn to Knit Fair Isle – Baby or Adult Cap

  1. Your videos are so good. I wish such had been available on the net back when I was struggling to teach myself to knit. I still am appreciating learning new techniques, though. You’ve taken the fear out of fair isle knit for me. It looks so much easier than I ever imagined it to be. Thank you!

  2. Pretty much the only reason I came to work today was to have access to fast internet. It was totally worth it, evil co-workers and all, because of these videos! Thank you so much – it’s been impossible for me to get fair isle from a book, but your videos are amazing! That’s two exclamation marks in one paragraph, which is a big deal for me.

  3. I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your videos. I purchased your pattern for the raglan sweater and followed the pattern along with the video.
    I am just about to buy the fair isle hat pattern. I watched the video first to see if I would be able to follow the pattern. Thanks to the video, I am pretty confident that I can.

    Thank you.

  4. Staci, your videos are the best! Our knitting guild held a knit-out last weekend to get new knitters started, and I referred them to your website. Clear instructions, high-quality video, and you are calm and approachable. Thank you!

  5. I have been looking vdo learn how to knit your vdo very nice and easy to understand and I’m going to try to knit a fair isle hat

    thank you so much to show that

  6. I have always wanted to be able to knit pretty things,and your videos rock!! So easy ,quote,”a caveman can do it.” Thanks for making learning so easy,pleasant,enjoyable!! I will be a regular from now on!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!

  7. I really enjoyed learning to knit this pattern. have you every thought of coming up with a way to knit a hat on double pointed needles

  8. Thank you very much for your video. I have been trying to knit fair isle for a while and couldn’t figure out how to carry the colors along the back. Your videos are very easy to understand, and has helped me become a better knitter.

  9. Staci,

    I am confused as to why this hat is worked differently ( i.e. not on dpn’s or magic loop method ) than your lesson on the Gnome Cap.

    Let me know when you can.
    Thanks!!

  10. Hi Jessica – hats can be knit on short circular needles, long circular needles (using magic loop), or double-pointed needles. All work well. I switch between all three methods, usually depending on whether or not I have 16″ circulars in the correct size needed for a pattern.

    This cap, using fair isle, is most easily worked on short circulars. Using magic loop or DPNs means that you have gaps between the needles, which is trickier in fair isle knitting.

    Hope that answers your question!
    S t a c i

  11. Hello!

    can you put this pattern on amazon? is easier for me to buy it with the credit that I already have in amazon.

    Thank you!

  12. Your videos are so incredibly helpful. Whenever I have a question or when someone else comes to me with a knitting question I simply open up your website and I always find a fantastic video solving my problem. It feels like you are right here with me! I have watched your two socks at once and fair isle videos hundreds of times! Thank you a million times over.

  13. It was wonderful visiting the very pink.com. I am a knitter and I have improved upon my knitting by watching videos and following the is written patterns. It is amazing.

  14. Harriet – the pattern is available for purchase on this website. Just click “add to cart” to purchase and instantly download.

    S t a c i

  15. I was wondering if you could give me advice on steaming the hat. I may have been overzealous because I accidentally stretched out some of my purl stitches around the base of the hat. I do love your patterns!

  16. Thank you ,Thank you, Thank you! After trying from many books to 2 colour knit, your videos have made it so simple to learn. I cannot wait to start my new project!

  17. I bought you pattern for fair isle hat from new england yarn in Bristol cut but cannot get into links88

  18. Hello, Staci. Your patterns are so reliable and I find the videos extremely helpful. Please keep offering patterns. I would love to make a Fair Isle sweater. Thank you!

  19. Hi Staci! This is awesome, and SUPER helpful to me, because I’m totally new to colorwork. (Hopefully) Quick question: If I’m not working in the round when doing colorwork, what do I do for wrong side rows? It seems like if you follow a chart for the wrong side rows, you would end up with floats on the right side. Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but I’m new to this :). Thanks!

  20. Grace – when fair isle is worked on a flat piece of knitting (not in-the-round), the floats are carried on the front of the work when you work a wrong-side row. So all of the floats stay on the same side.
    🙂
    S t a c i

  21. Ahhhhhh…since it’s stockinette stitch, the wrong side is all purls, thus the floats remain on the wrong side…I see!!! thanks!!!! 🙂

  22. Thank you very much. Your videos are so good, and it is very easy to learn new teqniques . You are my hero. I have started to learn kniting by watching your videos. They are the most useful videos on the internet , at least for me 🙂 THANK YOU !!!!

  23. I have a question about working charts. When working in the round do you read the chart going in the same direction on each row? When working flat you alternate the direction of each row?

  24. Jennifer – yes. When working a chart (color or stitch chart) in-the-round, you always read it from right to left. On flat pieces, you alternate right to left, then left to right.

    S t a c i

  25. Staci – this was my first Fair Isle project and it turned out beautifully thanks to your instructions and videos. I would love to see this in a simple sweater. Love your site! You have helped my knitting more then you know! Thank you!

  26. Love love your site. I would like to make a sweater using the same design as the hat. Is it at all possible to do atop down sweater using the same pattern as the hat. Thanks

  27. Staci, once again your videos are absolutely perfect. I bought this pattern to practice color work and it has been so incredibly helpful. I’m already 3 rows into the color chart and it is so much easier than I thought it was going to be, all because of your videos. You’ve taught me so much in my knitting career, thank you for making these videos!

  28. I have found a pattern on the redheart website that I would like to try. My only problem is I like to work with grids like you show in your videos and unfortunately the pattern doesn’t have that. How would I go about making a grid for a pattern?

  29. I bought your pattern and really enjoyed knitting fair isle. my hat came out great ,everyone loved it.Now am starting the adult one. Loved your video.

  30. When reading a chart, you say to read it from right to left but I am a left handed knitter which I believe you call mirror knitting. Would I change the way I read charts and go from left to right? If that wouldn’t work on all charts, how can I tell when looking at a chart for the first time?

  31. Meko – yes, I believe that as a mirror knitter, you will need to read “in-the-round” charts from left to right. There is a lot involved with altering patterns for mirror knitters…I highly suggest contacting your local yarn shop and scheduling a private lesson with the knitting teacher there for the best, one-on-one advice. They should be able to help you with some general advice on how to approach every pattern.

    S t a c i

  32. Hi S T A C I

    You are F A B U L O U S ! Your clear detailed tutorials, the helpful information you share along with your fun personality make for great tutorials. I always check verypink first when I’m looking for help. Speaking of… Do you know of a way to knit a hat/beanie on circular needles where the decreases are less prominent or not noticeable? If so, a tutorial would be great or even just a quick note on a general rule or magic on how to do decrease the number of stitches at the top half of a hat/beanie. Or, maybe there’s a way to knit one from the top down for a seamless look.

    Thanks, Karen

  33. Hi Staci –
    I’m starting the Fair Isle Hat for my 15 year old daughter. I think the adult size may be a bit large but she loves the pattern/snowflake design. I’m using Cascade 220 Superwash – any suggestions about making it a tad smaller?
    Thanks.

  34. Hi Jill – you can try using a smaller size needle for a smaller hat. I don’t suggest trying to alter the pattern numbers, because it will change the math on the fair isle and decreases. But the needle size will make a difference on the finished size.

    S t a c i

  35. Hi Staci –
    I moved to a size 5 for ribbing and a 6 for the body and it’s looking good! Thanks for the tip!
    Question: I am starting the snowflake pattern. I notice in Tutorial #2 when you are switching between the main color yarn and the contrasting yarn – you get the yarn that you aren’t currently using out of the way by letting it go behind you/away from you…and sometimes you bring it forward towards you. Does it matter?

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