Shoreditch Hat in Rowan Alpaca Classic (Fr) - Downloadable PDF

Shoreditch Hat by Georgia Farrell – Rowan Alpaca Classic Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

About This Design

The Shoreditch Hat is a sophisticated knitted hat designed by Georgia Farrell for Rowan, released as part of the Rowan pattern collection in 2020. Rated at a difficulty level of 3 (advanced), this design is aimed at confident knitters who are comfortable working in the round and executing cable techniques with precision. The hat is sized for a single size intended to fit an average women's head circumference, making it an elegant and practical accessory project.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted hat (bonnet) worked in the round from the brim upward. The finished piece features a textured, cable-detailed headband border that transitions into the main body of the hat. The design is worked as a single size, suitable for an average adult women's head. The aesthetic draws on the urban, creative spirit of the Shoreditch neighbourhood, combining classic knitting craftsmanship with a contemporary edge.

Colourwork and Yarn

The pattern calls for Rowan Alpaca Classic, a DK weight yarn, used in three carefully chosen colourways to create a rich, tonal effect:

• Colour 1 – Feather Grey Melange (shade 101): 2 x 25g balls
• Colour 2 – Dark Burgundy (shade 122): 2 x 25g balls
• Colour 3: quantity and shade details referenced in the full pattern PDF

Rowan Alpaca Classic is a luxuriously soft yarn with a beautiful drape and halo, making it ideal for accessories worn close to the face and skin. Its DK weight provides excellent stitch definition, which is particularly important for showcasing the cable and rib details central to this design.

Needles and Tools

The pattern specifies 3.25mm (US 3) double-pointed needles or a circular needle for working in the round. A stitch marker is used to indicate the beginning and end of each round, an essential tool when working seamlessly in the round. Knitters should take care not to twist the cast-on when joining to work in the round — a common pitfall the pattern explicitly addresses.

Techniques Used

This is an advanced knitting pattern that draws on a range of techniques suited to experienced knitters:

• Working in the round – the entire hat is constructed using either double-pointed needles or a circular needle, with no seaming required
• Cable knitting – the brim features a C2F (Cable 2 Front) cable twist, worked on a repeating basis across the round to create a refined, textured border
• Ribbing – a 2x2 rib (2 knit stitches, 2 purl stitches) forms the foundation of the headband border, providing elasticity and a neat fit around the head
• Stitch marker placement – used to track round beginnings accurately throughout construction
• Casting on in the round – 112 stitches are cast on and distributed across needles before joining

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (endroit / m end) – the fundamental knit stitch used throughout
• Purl stitch (envers / m env) – used in combination with knit stitches to form the rib pattern
• 2x2 Rib – alternating two knit and two purl stitches to create the stretchy, structured brim
• C2F (Cable 2 Front) – a two-stitch cable crossing worked to the front, introduced on Round 5 of the brim to add a subtle but striking cable twist to the ribbed border

Pattern Structure

The hat begins with the headband border, where 112 stitches are cast on using 3.25mm needles. The first four rounds establish the 2x2 rib pattern, and on