Text: The Periwinkle Dragon Purple dragon eye with yarn ball and text: Original knitting patterns by Carolyn Lisle Text: The Periwinkle Dragon Purple dragon eye with yarn ball and text: Original knitting patterns by Carolyn Lisle
Get This Pattern!

Fire Rainbow Hat

The Fire Rainbow Hat is inspired by the rare weather phenomenon of a circumhorizontal arc, which is caused by sunlight refracting through ice crystals suspended in high-altitude cirrus clouds. Though the term “fire rainbow” may be inaccurate (since this is neither fire nor a true rainbow), it is certainly a poetic description of this unusual phenomenon!

Woman wearing bright purple hat with pompom and randomly-distributed rainbow sections. Woman wearing bright purple hat with pompom and randomly-distributed rainbow sections. Woman wearing bright purple hat with pompom and randomly-distributed rainbow sections.

Calibrated specifically for yarn with a short pop of colour at one end of the skein, this hat uses short row sequences to draw out the narrow sections of colour into triangular shapes, much like the clouds that form these unique apparitions in the sky. Worked from the bottom up, it has a slightly slouchy fit with optional pompom and a twisted-rib cuff.

This pattern requires the knitter to be able to knit in the round on circular needles and clearly explains all techniques required, including yarn over short rows.

This hat was designed with the popular “rainbow pop” colourways in mind, but any yarn with a short repeating section (less than 1/4 of the skein) of contrasting colour will work. Since the resulting pooling depends entirely on the length of the “rainbow” sections, every hat made with this pattern will be unique!

Originally designed for Operation Social Justice Warrior 2020, 40% of the proceeds of all purchases of this pattern (and 100% of anything you might choose to add above the base price at checkout) go to Kind Space, which is an organization by and for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in my community. It provides support, resources, and a space for rest, care, connection, and education that is safe and welcoming to people of all sexualities and gender identities.

Love this pattern? You might also like:

You might also like:

Browse All My Designs

Get This Pattern!

Or buy on:

Get This Yarn!

Helpful Resources

Stay In The Loop!