Knitted Tropical Twist Hat

Imagine a cozy hat that combines the warmth of knitted fabric with a fun tropical twist. This unique accessory features vibrant colors and playful patterns inspired by the lush beauty of tropical landscapes. The intricate knitting technique adds texture and depth to the design, making it a stylish and eye-catching piece for any outfit. The Knitted Tropical Twist Hat is the perfect blend of comfort and style, offering a refreshing take on traditional winter accessories. Whether you're strolling through a snowy city or lounging on a sunny beach, this hat will keep you looking chic and feeling cozy. With its playful twist on a classic knit hat, this accessory is sure to turn heads and brighten up any winter day.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Paints (100% Hand Painted Superwash Wool; 220 yards [200 meters]/100 grams); #9859 Tropical Punch - one skein

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 6, one set of double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 6, and one cable needle (cn) or dpn for cabling (or you can always cable without a needle, if you'd prefer)

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches

So let's make a hat! First, then, using your circular needle, cast on 120 stitches, place marker, and join in round. If you want to get really fancy, you could knit the first five or six rows in a smaller gauge needle to create a tighter brim, but it's certainly not necessary. Either way you do it, we'll get straight to the main pattern, after a little notation as follows:
front cross (fc): slip 2 stitches to your cn and hold in front; k2; k2 from cn

left twist (lt): with right-hand needle behind left-hand needle, skip one stitch and knit the second stitch in back loop; then insert right-hand needle into the backs of both stitches and k2tog-b (knit two together through back loops, inserting right needle from the right)

And now that we've covered that, let's get to it!

Rows 1 & 2: * p1, k4, p2, k4, p1; rep from *

Row 3: * p1, k4, p2, fc, p1 *
Rows 4 - 8: * p1, k4, p2, k4, p1 *

Row 9: * p1, fc, p2, k4, p1 *
Rows 10 - 12: * p1, k4, p2, k4, p1 *

Knit rows 1 - 12 three times and then knit rows 1 - 9 once more. Now it's time to begin our decrease rows, as follows:

Decrease Row 1: * p1, ssk, k2tog, p2, k4, p1 * (100 stitches)

Decrease Row 2: * p1, lt, p2, k4, p1 *

Decrease Row 3: * p2tog, k1, p2, k4, p1 * (90 stitches)
Decrease Row 4: * p4, k4, p1 *
You may want to switch to your dpns about now...
Decrease Row 5: * p3tog, p1, k4, p1 * (70 stitches)
Decrease Row 6: * p2, fc, p1 *

Decrease Row 7: * p2, ssk, k2tog, p1 * (50 stitches)

Decrease Row 8: * p2, lt, p1 *

Decrease Row 9: * p1, p2tog, k1, p1 * (40 stitches)
Decrease Row 10: slip first 2 stitches to final dpn; then, * k1, p3tog * (20 stitches)
Decrease Row 11: * ssk * (10 stitches)

Clip yarn tail, thread through final 10 stitches, and pull tight. Thread to inside of hat and knot.