Orry Yarn – Orry Fern Beanie Knitting Kit
Designed by Tilde Olsen – Orry Yarn
The Orry Fern Beanie is an all-over textured hat worked in the round from the bottom up, and it is the project we use to teach knitting in the round. If you can cast on, knit, purl and cast off, this is the next thing to make.
You join the round at the start, work the texture pattern up the body, then shape the crown with simple decreases, moving onto double-pointed needles or Magic Loop as the stitch count drops.
The kit is knitted in Orry Yarn Merino DK, our own soft, springy, ethically sourced merino. The stitch definition shows the texture clearly, which matters when you are learning to read your own knitting.
Skill Level:
Beginner ★ (1 out of 5)
You should be comfortable casting on, knitting, purling and casting off. Joining in the round, double-pointed needles, Magic Loop and crown shaping are all taught here. A hat is forgiving: nothing has to match anything else, and a twisted join is caught in the first round.
Size:
One size, designed to fit an average adult head.
The Kit Includes:
- 2 × 50g balls of Orry Yarn Merino DK in your chosen shade
- Printed pattern in English
You'll Also Need:
- 4mm circular needles, 40cm long, for the body
- For the crown, either one set of 4mm double-pointed needles, or 4mm circular needles 80cm long if you would rather use Magic Loop
- Stitch marker
- Measuring tape
- Wool needle
A note on the needles:
The 40cm cable is not optional for the body: the stitch count will not reach around a longer one without stretching every stitch. The crown is where you choose. Double-pointed needles are the traditional route and the pattern is written for them. Magic Loop on an 80cm cable does the same job with one needle to keep track of instead of four, though the first rounds after the switch are fiddly whichever way you go.
If you knit with interchangeables, note that 40cm circulars need the short special tips. Standard tips only make up 60cm and above.
Techniques used:
- Casting on and joining in the round without twisting
- Knit and purl worked in the round to build the texture
- Using a stitch marker to find the start of the round
- Working on double-pointed needles, or Magic Loop
- Crown shaping with simple decreases
- Closing the crown and weaving in ends
Why You'll Love It:
- The natural next project after a scarf, and a short one
- Teaches knitting in the round properly rather than assuming it
- Both crown methods explained, so you can pick the one that suits your hands
- Designed for the yarn in the box, not substituted into it
- A tips and modifications section at the back of the pattern, drawn from years of teaching