10 Fabulous Fair Isle Hat Knitting Patterns

Fair isle colorwork hats are a great way to stay warm this winter. They're fun and colorful, but you don't have to sacrifice style for warmth!

We've rounded up 10 of the best fair isle hat knitting patterns that will keep your head cozy all winter long.

These stranded colorwork hats are perfect for beginners and advanced knitters alike!

Ready? Let's dive in!

PS. Be sure to check out pattern #7, it’s free!

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#1. York Hat Knitting Pattern

“York” is a stranded color-work hat with a twisted rib. The hat is knitted using a total of four colors…one of them a pop of bright neon pink!

Uses worsted weight yarn

Created by A. Opie Designs

#2. Coffee Beanie Hat Knitting Pattern

Now you can stay warm while heading out for your morning Starbucks run! The Coffee Beanie Hat is knitted in the round and features stranded colorwork for the word coffee.

Perfect for the coffee-obsessed person in your life!!

Uses super bulky weight yarn

Designed by LadyJayCrochet

#3. Scraptacular Beanie Knitting Pattern

The Scraptacular Beanie is a quick and fun stash-busting project with so many scrappy possibilities. Although up to nine colors can be used for this Fair Isle pattern, you only knit with two colors at a time.

You can use four different colors for the zig zags or two. You can use a single color or three different colors for the dots near the crown. Go bold with bright hues or go for a more subtle look with a mix of neutrals. So many scraptacular combinations to choose from. Have fun picking the right one for you!

Uses super bulky weight yarn

Designed by flynnknit

#4. Baa-ble Hat Knitting Pattern

Here’s a baa-beautiful hat ewe are going to love to knit! It’s knitted in the round with ribbed brim and pom pom accents. A flock of fluffy sheep surrounds the hat. This It is a quick knit and it makes an ideal introduction to Fair Isle / colorwork knitting.

Uses aran weight yarn

Designed by Donna Smith

#5. Quilter’s Delight Hat Knitting Pattern

Designer Tina Allsorts was, at one time, also a quilter. She took inspiration from some of her favorite quilt designs and incorporated them into this gorgeous Fair Isle hat.

The finished results are stunning and a must-knit hat to add to your knitting library.
Some of her favorite quilting patterns include flying geese, pinwheels and stars, all of which feature on the hat.

Uses fingering weight yarn

Designed by Tina Allsorts

#6. Niobe Fair Isle Hat Knitting Pattern

Niobe is a perfect project for those sport weight left-overs, in every color combination your heart desires. The pattern is written for three colors, but the sweet leaves and flowers colorwork looks just as good in two, four or even more colors (fade anyone?) depending on the effect you’re after.
Cute, warm and fun to make, it’s just THE hat for the holiday (gift) season to come.

Uses sport weight yarn

Designed by Natasja Hornby

#7. Wherever It Points Free Hat Knitting Pattern

At first glance, this hat may seem difficult to knit. However, it’s a simple Fair Isle colorwork hat that is ideal for a beginner knitter looking to dip their toe in knitting with multiple colors.

For the colorwork section, you’re alternating between only two colors and then alternating the pattern or colors on subsequent rounds.

Uses worsted weight yarn

Designed by Aimee Pelletier

#8. Sunrise Hat Knitting Pattern

This pattern was created as a way to use up scraps of yarn leftover from making other hats. The variegated yarn from three colorways of your choice creates a beautiful ombre effect, inspired by the designers love of sunrises.

Feel free to adjust the colorwork in the rows of the pattern to account for the amount of yarn you have of each color!

Uses super bulky weight yarn

Designed by Emily Sheehan

#9. Yukon Campfire Hat Knitting Pattern

Nothing says outdoors, camping, and wilderness like a buffalo plaid motif! The Yukon Campfire hat uses three colors of worsted weight yarn and a ribbed stitch pattern to achieve that iconic look.

This unisex buffalo plaid hat is knit in the round from brim to crown. The hat can be knit as a beanie or a slouchy hat.

Uses worsted weight yarn

Designed by Liz Sutton

#10. Lineate Hat Knitting Pattern

Who needs a ruler and compass to make geometric constructions! Enjoy stranded two-color knitting in its simplest form, and challenge yourself to try out unexpected color combinations. Lineate is a fun exploration of parallel and perpendicular lines—and there might even be a hidden bit of Fibonacci in those stripes!

The narrow ribbing at the bottom edge is perfect for a fun pop of color, and the transitions in the stripe patterns will keep you going. Add a pompom, or just let the concentric circles of the crown decreases have the last word.

Uses fingering weight yarn

Designed by Elizabeth Doherty

The colorwork knitting pattern world is growing quickly, so there are plenty of projects to choose from. But with all the options out there, it can be hard to know where to start!

Lucky for you, we have 10 great ideas in this post that will get your needles moving and keep them busy with some new techniques.

Which hat will you be casting on first?

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hat patterns, knitting patterns, knitting ideasNancy QueenComment