Triple Jack is a fun twist on the iconic and beautiful flag of the United Kingdom: from most angles, it simply looks like a vertically striped hat, worked in three colours. Seen from the crown, however—and rather appropriately, for the flag of a royal nation!)—thanks to the placement of a few very carefully spaced decreases, the real magic happens. Those vertical stripes converge in just the right way to reveal the Union Jack in all its splendour!

I have chosen to make my Triple Jack hat in fairly traditional colours—red and blue, with a light grey in place of the usual white—giving the hat a vintage and timeless look. You might want to mix things up, however, and use completely different colours that best suit your tastes. Perhaps three different shades of the same colour, or three wildly contrasting, fluorescent hues: the design will still look iconic and striking, whichever way you decide to take it!

These pattern pages are fully comprehensive, containing tutorials and information about every technique used in the making of the Triple Jack hat.

I don’t assume any prior knowledge, not even of double-knitting, although it must be said that if you do have some DK experience under your belt, you’ll certainly benefit from it, as triple-knitting follows most of the same principles, but fear not: in no way is prior DK experience essential.