The Forth Hat joins our popular swatchless hat family, alongside the Porty hat and viral bestseller Musselburgh. Forth applies the top-down, swatchless construction to the classic beanie hat. It's the perfect canvas to make your own: simple changes make it a cute bobble hat or classic fisherman's watchcap. The four point crown shaping uses lifted increases for a polished finish that works beautifully with stripes.
Whether you’re an adventurous beginner eager to learn new skills, or an experienced knitter looking for a quick, compelling project you’ll love knitting the Forth Hat. The swatchless design begins at the centre top: the crown is shaped by increasing outward in 4 ‘compass point’ lines. When you’ve created enough fabric to do so you can simply measure your gauge on the project, and match it to the numbers given for your size and gauge. Once the fun crown shaping is complete, there’s lots of soothing stockinette that makes for the perfect “take anywhere” project. Choose from a deep folded brim, or a simple ribbed band – directions are included for both 1x1 and 2x2 rib.
Build your skills by following the links to our clear step-by-step tutorials.
The Forth Hat is written for multiple gauges, you can start knitting the hat with whichever needle size feels comfortable for you for the yarn you are using. 11 gauges between 7 and 2 stitches per inch / 2.5cm are included.
Forth Hat includes 6 sizes and 11 gauges, so you can knit it with the yarn you prefer, to fit everyone. Use the included customisation spreadsheet to further customise the fit. Directions are included for a regular and turned up brim, and the top-down construction makes customising the length easy.
baby (B) [kid (K), adult (A), adult large (AL)]
To fit head circumference: 16 [18, 20, 22] (24, 26)” / 40 [45, 50, 55] (60, 65)cm.
Approximate finished circumference: 14 2/5 [16 1/5, 18, 19 4/5] (21 3/5, 23 2/5)” / 36 [40.5, 45, 49.5] (54, 58.5)cm.
Length: 5 [5 3/4, 6 1/4, 7 1/4] (8, 9)” / 12.5 [14.5, 15.5, 18] (20, 22.5)cm.
Learn how to knit your own Musselburgh or Porty Hat in this fun mini-course, featuring the full replay video from our popular live webinar: Knitting Swatchless Hats. In the webinar replay Ysolda will walk you through each step of knitting a swatchless hat from selecting yarn and needles to creating a beautiful finish. She'll cover how to use the patterns and share lots of tips and tricks for a successful project that you'll love knitting. Discover why so many knitters haven't been able to stop knitting these compelling projects!
Please note, this course takes you through the skills you need to knit from our Porty Hat and Musselburgh knitting patterns. If you do not have your own copy of the patterns, you can use the 50% off coupon included in the course material.
Fingering / 4ply to bulky weight yarn.
Exact yardage will depend on size, gauge and yarn used. 100-120g of yarn is enough for any size, gauge and yarn combination. 50g is enough for the version without a folded brim in most sizes and yarn weights, you may need more for larger sizes in chunky and bulky yarns or to add a pom-pom.
Shown in
Fingering: Garthenor Organic Preseli (100% wool, 1.76 oz / 50g, 219 yds / 200m) in Koi.
DK: Garthenor Organic Beacons (100% wool,176 oz, 50g, 148 yds / 135m) in Bevan.
Heavy DK / Light Worsted: The Farmer’s Daughter Pishkun DK (100% MT and WY Rambouillet Wool, 100g, 255 yds / 233m) in Elk Antler, Ranch Romance, and Dirty Little Dandelion.
Bulky: Qing Big Merino Chunky 80% Superwash Merino 20% Nylon, 100g, 76 yds / 70m) in Balloon.
The needle size that works best for your yarn will depend on your individual tension. The recommended needle size for the yarn is a good starting point.