Ever been out on the water on a nippy summer day? Want to stay up late by the campfire? For those in cooler climates, there are good opportunities to wear a hat all year long as we celebrate the great outdoors. This hat is a delightfully fast knit! Bring along the pattern, yarn and needles and outfit the family on your cottage weekends, the ball field…or playing outdoors at home.

Undertow is available in three sizes, and stretches to fit preschoolers to men’s XL. Knit in the round on size 11 (8mm) needles at 2.5 stitches per inch, it uses only 75–125 yards/69–115 meters of super bulky yarn or any combination of yarn weights knit together to get gauge. If you’ve knit a pair of short-row socks, you’ll recognize how the hat’s crown “turns the heel” to match the head’s curve. For those who’ve never tried a short-row heel, this is an easy introduction with big needles. Then you’ll be ready for socks, too! This is ideal for an advanced beginner or intermediate knitter; to knit Undertow, you’ll need to be able to knit, purl, do yarn overs, k2tog or p2tog, work short rows, and do a three-needle bind-off.

Accessibility Note: This pattern offers an additional Low Vision pdf option, with Arial 24 point sans serif font in all black text and photo captions. It has no italics. All of the directions are fully written out. If there’s a chart included, there are also written instructions- the chart is not needed to complete the pattern.

Hat Circumference measures approximately 18”/45.5cm (20”/51cm, 22”/56cm)

Notes Regarding Fit:
• This hat stretches, so if in doubt regarding fit, knit a smaller size. For instance, if your head measures 22”/56cm, knit the 20”/51cm size.

Yarn Amount:
Approximately 75 (100, 125) yards/69 (92, 115) meters of super bulky yarn that knits to gauge. For a hat with a longer brim, you’ll need more yarn.
Or:
Approximately 150 (200, 250) yards/138 (184, 230) meters of worsted weight yarn that knits to gauge when doubled.

Sample Used:
For Women’s Medium/Men’s Small hat:
1 skein Morehouse Merino Bulky, 100% Merino, 115 yards (105m)/3.99 oz (113g) per skein, color White (Natural Color)

Needles:
Size 11 (8mm) double pointed needles (dpns)
Size 11 (8 mm) 16”/40cm circular needle (Optional)
or appropriate size to get pattern gauge
Note: You can work the hat entirely on dpns if you do not have a 16” circular needle.

Notions Required:
Stitch marker
Tape measure or ruler
Stitch holder
Tapestry needle with large eye