How to Knit a Hat on a Knitting Machine with TRILOGIA STELLINA
In this step-by-step knitting tutorial, we will make a deep women’s hat with a high folded cuff on a standard-gauge knitting machine. The project uses TRILOGIA STELLINA, VEYARN’s signature blend of three Italian yarns. The finished hat fits a 58–60 cm head circumference, weighs only 75 g, and looks especially beautiful in pearl rib stitch.
This tutorial is intended for machine knitters who already know how to cast on using two beds and want to make a neat, softly voluminous hat with rich texture and a delicate shimmer.
Watch the complete video tutorial:
Learn step by step how to make a TRILOGIA STELLINA hat on a standard-gauge knitting machine.
Why TRILOGIA STELLINA Is Perfect for a Hat
TRILOGIA is not a single factory-made yarn. It is a ready-to-knit combination of three Italian yarns selected by VEYARN for colour, yardage and texture. The strands are held together but not twisted, so each one retains its own character. As a result, even a simple stitch pattern looks intricate and multidimensional.
- Fiorenza — 45% baby alpaca, 25% extrafine merino and 30% polyamide; 1,000 m/100 g.
- Stellina — 70% viscose and 30% lurex; 1,100 m/100 g.
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Harmony — 100% extrafine merino; 1,500 m/100 g.
The finished blend has an approximate yardage of 388 m/100 g. Merino and baby alpaca provide warmth, softness and a gentle halo, while viscose and lurex add shifting colour and a subtle sparkle. The lurex never overpowers the yarn: it highlights the relief of the pearl rib stitch and looks particularly striking in daylight.
View the available colours and choose your cone on the TRILOGIA — Mix of Three Italian Yarns page at VEYARN.
Materials and Tools
- 75–80 g of TRILOGIA STELLINA. Prepare at least 85 g to allow enough yarn for the cast-on, crown and seam.
- Standard-gauge knitting machine with main and ribber beds.
- Matching yarn or another strong yarn for gathering the crown.
- Tapestry needle for the side seam.
- Scissors, ruler and scales.
Swatch and Stitch Calculation
Before you begin, knit a swatch in the same stitch pattern and at the same tension you plan to use for the hat. The TRILOGIA STELLINA swatch was knitted in pearl rib at tension 7/7, then washed and dried flat.
The measured gauge after wet finishing is 21 stitches and 50 rows per 10 × 10 cm. Vertically, the swatch showed 25 visible knit elements. In pearl rib, each visible element corresponds to two carriage passes, so 25 × 2 = 50 rows.
For a 58–60 cm head circumference, we used 106 needles. At a gauge of 21 stitches per 10 cm, the fabric width is approximately 50.5 cm: 106 ÷ 21 × 10 = 50.5 cm. Negative ease is necessary so the stretchy hat stays securely on the head without feeling loose.
Step-by-Step Hat Knitting Instructions
Step 1 Prepare the Needles
We are working on both needle beds. Set 106 working needles for full needle rib, centred symmetrically on the machine: 53 needles on the front bed and 53 needles on the rear bed. Make sure the outermost needles are positioned correctly and that the yarn runs freely through the yarn feeder. All stitches are knitted on both beds.
Shift the lower needle bed to position H.
Step 2 Make the Cast-On Edge
Set the tension to 2/2 and cast on across both beds. Knit the circular rows at the same tension, following the standard cast-on sequence for your machine model. The cast-on edge should be even and sufficiently elastic because it will form the lower edge of the high folded cuff.
Disengage the circular knitting levers and knit 1 row at tension 5/5 across all needles. Then arrange the needles for 1 × 1 rib and knit 2 rows.
Step 3 Change to Pearl Rib
Before starting the main fabric, reset the row counter to zero.
Set the carriages for pearl rib. Do not move directly from tension 5 to the working tension of 7/7. Increase the tension gradually every 2 rows: 5 → 6 → 7. This smooth transition helps prevent an abrupt ridge and an overly tight edge.
Step 4 Knit the Main Section
Knit pearl rib at tension 7/7 until the counter reaches 160 rows. According to the washed swatch, this produces approximately 32 cm of fabric. This length creates a deep fit and allows you to form a high folded cuff.
Step 5 Prepare the Crown
After row 160, set the carriages for 1 × 1 rib and knit one row. Do not cast off in the usual way. Leave a sufficiently long tail of strong working yarn to remove the open stitches from both beds.
Step 6 Gather the Crown
Transfer all the open stitches onto the working yarn, first from the front needle bed and then from the rear needle bed. Draw the stitches together evenly around the circumference, leaving a small opening at the crown. Pass the yarn through the gathered stitches once more and secure it firmly.
Step 7 Sew the Side Seam
Join the side edges with mattress stitch or another neat seam suitable for knitwear. Remember that part of the seam will become visible on the right side when the cuff is folded up. Therefore, sew the final 10–12 cm nearest the lower edge of the hat from the opposite side. Keep the seam even and avoid pulling it too tightly. Weave in the yarn ends
Wet Finishing
Hand-wash the finished hat at no more than 30 °C. Wash it separately the first time. Do not wring the fabric. Gently remove excess water with a towel, reshape the hat and dry it flat, away from radiators and direct sunlight.
Measure the final dimensions and assess the fit only after the hat is completely dry. Aggressive steaming is unnecessary; gentle wet finishing without stretching the pearl rib is enough.
How to Adjust the Hat Size
If your gauge is different, do not automatically copy the 106-needle count. First decide on the required fabric width, allowing for the stretch of the stitch pattern. Multiply that width by the number of stitches per centimetre, then round the result to a number suitable for a symmetrical 1 × 1 rib arrangement.
Formula: number of needles = hat width in centimetres × stitch gauge per centimetre. For this design: 50.5 × 2.1 ≈ 106 needles. Always check the calculation against your own washed swatch and allow for your preferred amount of negative ease.
Can TRILOGIA Be Knitted by Hand
Yes. TRILOGIA STELLINA works for both machine and hand knitting. For hand knitting, you can begin by swatching with 4–5 mm needles, although the final choice depends on the stitch pattern and your personal gauge. The yarn looks beautiful in stockinette stitch, rib patterns, cables, Aran designs and other textured stitches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much yarn is needed for the hat? The finished hat for a 58–60 cm head circumference weighs 75 g. Prepare 80–85 g for comfortable knitting because consumption varies with gauge, cuff height and cast-on method.
Is this yarn suitable for a standard-gauge knitting machine? Yes. The featured hat was made in pearl rib on a standard-gauge machine at tension 7/7. Always test the specific colour and strand combination on a swatch before starting.
Why does the swatch need to be washed? Merino, baby alpaca and viscose bloom after washing. The fabric may change in width, length and drape, so calculations based on an unwashed swatch are often inaccurate.
Does the lurex make the hat too sparkly? No. In TRILOGIA STELLINA, it acts as a fine accent of light, highlighting the colour and texture instead of creating a solid metallic shine.
Can I make the hat without a high folded cuff? Yes. Reduce the overall length, but first determine the desired depth using a hat that fits you or your washed swatch. Recalculate the number of rows using your actual row gauge.
Choose Your TRILOGIA STELLINA Colour
The same simple pearl rib looks completely different in every TRILOGIA colourway. In one colour, the soft halo takes centre stage; in another, contrasting coloured strokes stand out; in a third, Stellina adds a delicate shimmer. Because all three yarns are already combined, there is no need to match compatible cones or calculate their individual yardage. The blend is ready for your next creative project.
View all available TRILOGIA colours and choose the yarn for your hat at VEYARN.com.
We combine. You create.
