Kuebel hat - the knitting pattern

I've decided to take the Kuebel hat pattern off Ravelry download and back into my blog, so here it is!

I offer this free knitting pattern for no fee for your own personal use - you may not sell this pattern or the hats you knit using it (please ask me about charity).

Please if you like this pattern do concider taking a look at the products I advertise here on my website and use my links for your Amazon & co purchases - it earns me a small fee to be able to cover the costs of running this blog!

I originally made this hat for my husband, who is the prime example of people who cannot wear a woolen hat longer than 10 minutes before it starts to itch them. He also gets cold easily, so if I were to make him a hat, it would need to be warm.  

I had this idea of a two-layer hat, where the inside would be soft and non-itchy and the outside really warm and protecting the ears from cold winds.

I'm really bad at double knitting, so I decided to knit two hats separately. But I also hate seaming, so I knit the hats one at a time,  using the same cast-on edge. Behold the Kuebel hat was born!

But what's with the name Kuebel? My husband said the hat remind him of the helmets used by the German army years ago. The helmets were often used by the soldiers as food bowls and buckets as well. And the German dialect word for these helmets was Kuebel. So there we have it!

Now, have fun with knitting this warm hat!

What you'll need:

Needles:
5mm (US 8) 40 cm circular, and possibly a set of 5mm (US 8) dpns for the hat crown decreases (or a longer needle for magic loop).

Yarn:
Ca. 70 grams / 95 meters (105 yards) of worsted weight yarn with a high wool contect  in Main Colour
Ca. 20 grams / 30 meters (35 yards) of the same yarn in Contrasting Colour and
ca. 50 grams / 105 meters (115 yards) slightly smaller gauge worsted weight microfiber yarn.
Some scrap yarn for provisional cast on.

Suggestions for the wool yarn: Fishermen's Wool by Lion Brand; Wool Clasica by Manos del Uruguay; Marks & Kattens' Eco Ull; Novita Isoveli or Lion Wool Solids by Lion Brand.

Suggestions for the microfiber yarn: Junghans Wolle Opal; Desert Garden Aran Cotton by Jo Sharp; Samoa by GGH or Mayfair by Austermann.

If you can't find a suitable microfiber-based yarn, look for soft acrylic or cotton yarns instead, like Caron Simply Soft or Cotton-Ease by Lion Brand.

Always take time to check your gauge to see if these yarns suit your unique hand!

Optional: one stitch marker

Gauge: for wool: 16 stitches x 22 rows, microfiber 17 stitches x 23 rows in stockinette across 4 inches

Size: Small (Medium). To fit a head ca. 20-21 inches / 52-54 cm (22-23 in  / 56-58 cm) big

Abbreviations:
k: knit
p: purl
k2tog: knit two stitches togehter
MC: main colour
CC: contrasting colour
dpns: double-pointed needles

Pattern:

Provisionally cast on 81 (90) stitches on scrap yarn. Place  marker to mark the start of round (or use the yarn tail to mark the spot).

K 4 (5) rounds with MC wool yarn.

Then work colour chart of your choice from right to left 9 (10) times around the hat with the CC (the charts are at the end of the pattern, Page 5).

Some of the CC floats at the wrong side will be long, so make sure to twist the MC yarn with the CC every two-three stitches to shorten the floats.

Once you've finished the 9 rounds of the chart, knit 3 in / 8 cm (4 in / 10 cm) in stockinette stitch with MC. If you'd like a deeper hat still, you can knit an extra half an inch – inch (1-2,5 cm) more before starting the crown decreases.

Then work crown decreases, changing to dpns or magic loop method if and when needed:

Row 1: k 7 (8), k2tog 9 times
Row 2: k one round
Row 3: k 6 (7), k2tog 9 times
Row 4: k one round
Row 5: k 5 (6), k2tog 9 times
Row 6: k one round
Row 7: k 4 (5)
Row 8: k one round
Row 9: k 3 (4), k2tog 9 times
Row 10: k one round
Row 11: k 2 (3), k2tog 9 times
Row 12: k one round
Row 13: k 1 (2), k2tog 9 times
Row 14: k one round
Size medium only: Row 15: k 1, k2tog 9 times
Size medium only: Row 16: k one round

Now you should have 18 stitches left.

Last round: k2tog 9 times

You now have 9 stitches remaining. Cut yarn and pull through the remaining stitches, sew the end in well. Sew in all yarn ends at this point!

Now let's knit the inner, mirofiber hat. Start by moving the provisionally cast on stitches on the circular needle.

K one round with the microfiber yarn, then p one round.

Then knit until the microfiber part measures 4 inches / 11,5 cm (5 in / 14 cm)  more (or 0,5 – 1 in / 1 – 2,5 cm) more in case you made the wool hat somewhat deeper).

Try to make sure that the microfiber hat is not deeper than the woolen hat, but even a tiny bit shorter.

At this point, sew in any yarn ends you might have loose in either the woolen or the microfiber hat!

Then start the decreases in the exact same manner as in the wool hat (Round 1: k 7 (8), k2tog 9 times, Round  2: k 1 round etc. )

After you've pulled the yarn through the remaining 9 stitches, pull the yarn throught the wool hat crown, pulling the microfiber hat inside the woolen hat  - you now have two hats in one.

Sew the hats together invisibly at the crown using the microfiber yarn. Make sure that the purl round forms the hat brim so you have a neat edge there.

Sew in the yarn end at the crown, block the hat if needed. You're done!

Now enjoy your warm non-itchy Kuebel hat and wear or gift it with pride.

For the charts download the PDF!

Pattern by Lumia Jais aka Worsted Knitt
Copyright Lumia Jais

Photography: petrol and green Kuebel by Dominik Jais, light blue Kuebel by Diane St. Hilair. Many thanks!

This pattern including the charts are subject to copyright. Knitting from this pattern you agree to use this pattern only for your personal non-commercial use. You may not distribute or sell electronic or paper copies of this pattern, nor may you sell any items produced using this pattern.