Valentine’s Day – the stores are filled with flowers, chocolates, cards. It’s a day for celebrating love and friendship in all its forms. For a knitter, what better way to show love than with yarn and needles? This year, I am celebrating my knitting friendships and collaborating with two of my dearest knitting friends to design a series of hats all about love.

Kardia Hat is knit in the round from the brim up in a sweet, textured pattern of Xs and Os and seed stitch hearts. The pattern is suitable for aran or worsted weight yarns in solid or semi-solid colours (pinks and reds especially!).

Suggested Yarns: Colour Adventures Sweet Aran (100% merino, 200 yd/183 m per 4 oz/115 g), sample shown in Sour Cherry on a 21”/53.5 cm head;
or other aran or worsted weight yarn that blocks well and knits up to a gauge of 20 sts = 4”/10 cm in stockinette.

Sizes: One size, to fit an average adult head circumference of 21-23”/53.5-58.5 cm.

Yardage: 180 yd/165 m.

Suggested Needles: US size 7/4.5 mm 16”/40 cm circular needle and DPNs or size needed to obtain gauge;
US size 5/3.75 mm 16”/40 cm circular needle or needle two sizes smaller than gauge needle.

Gauge: 18 sts and 30 rows = 4”/10 cm in pattern in the round on larger needles; 20 sts = 4”/10 cm in stockinette stitch.

Finished Dimensions: Depth: 9”/23 cm.
Circumference: 21”/53.5 cm.