Storm Trooper Beanie by Lindsay (Bundle). Project photos @creeksidecrochet & © Marlaatumass.
Storm Trooper Beanie by Lindsay (Bundle) is a fun
Star Wars-inspired knitted hat featuring a recognizable black-and-white
helmet motif created with stranded colorwork.
Originally published in 2017, the design became popular with knitters
looking for an approachable introduction to Fair Isle-style colorwork.
It combines a straightforward beanie construction with a graphic motif
that makes the finished hat stand out.
Pattern availability update: this pattern was previously
available as a free digital pattern, but its current Ravelry record lists
it as discontinued and no longer available online.
We have therefore removed the old “Free Pattern” label from this page.
Storm Trooper Beanie at a Glance
- Pattern: Storm Trooper Beanie
- Designer: Lindsay (Bundle)
- Published: December 2017
- Category: Beanie / toque
- Craft: Knitting
- Yarn weight: Sport
- Suggested yarn: Knit Picks Brava Sport
- Yardage: Approximately 160–180 yd (146–165 m)
- Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm
- Gauge: 23 stitches = 4 in / 10 cm
- Construction: Bottom-up and worked in the round
- Color technique: Stranded colorwork
- Language: English
- Current status: Discontinued
About the Storm Trooper Beanie
The Storm Trooper Beanie takes the familiar shape of a knitted beanie
and turns it into a graphic colorwork project.
The hat uses contrasting light and dark yarn to create a
Stormtrooper-inspired helmet motif around the body of the hat.
Because most of the visual impact comes from two-color stranded
knitting, the project is particularly interesting for knitters who want
to move beyond plain hats without tackling a highly complicated garment.
A Beginner-Friendly Introduction to Stranded Colorwork
The designer originally described the pattern as a good introduction to
stranded or Fair Isle-style knitting.
Instead of creating the graphic design afterward with embroidery, the
contrasting colors are worked directly into the knitted fabric.
This gives the hat its crisp, recognizable appearance while teaching an
important knitting technique that can later be used for sweaters,
mittens, cowls and many other projects.
How Stranded Colorwork Works
In stranded knitting, two colors are used across the same round.
While one color is being knitted, the unused yarn travels behind the
fabric in strands commonly called floats.
The challenge is keeping those floats loose enough that they do not pull
or distort the finished fabric.
Once you become comfortable managing two yarns, the technique can become
surprisingly rhythmic.
Managing Your Colorwork Tension
Tension is one of the most important parts of stranded knitting.
If the floats behind the work are pulled too tightly, the colorwork
section may become narrower than the rest of the hat and the motifs can
pucker.
Try spreading the recently worked stitches naturally along the right
needle before carrying the unused yarn behind them.
Your goal is a flexible fabric where the colorwork lies flat without
loose loops hanging inside the hat.
Watch the Longer Floats
Graphic motifs sometimes create sections where one color is not used for
several stitches.
Longer floats require a little more attention because they can become
either too tight or too loose.
Depending on the distance involved, experienced colorwork knitters may
choose to catch a longer float behind the fabric.
Avoid catching floats in exactly the same location on consecutive
rounds, which can make the trapped yarn more visible from the front.
Worked in the Round
The Storm Trooper Beanie is
worked in the round.
This construction is particularly convenient for stranded colorwork
because the right side of the fabric remains facing you while the
graphic motif is being created.
There is also no long vertical seam to sew after completing the main
body of the hat.
Bottom-Up Construction
The hat begins at the lower edge and progresses upward toward the crown.
This familiar bottom-up structure lets you establish the circumference
before working the main graphic section.
Crown decreases then shape the top of the beanie.
Sport-Weight Yarn
The original pattern uses
sport-weight yarn.
The suggested yarn was Knit Picks Brava Sport, an
acrylic yarn that provides clear stitch definition for graphic
colorwork.
You do not necessarily need to use the exact original yarn, but any
substitute should produce the required gauge and a fabric suitable for a
fitted hat.
How Much Yarn?
The published pattern information lists approximately
160–180 yards (146–165 meters).
Since this is a colorwork design, you need contrasting colors rather
than a single uninterrupted shade.
If you are substituting yarn, compare both yarn weight and meterage and
allow a little extra for swatching.
Classic Black and White
Black and white are the obvious color choices when trying to preserve
the Stormtrooper-inspired appearance.
The strong contrast also makes the charted motif easy to recognize.
However, knitters can use the same general colorwork concept with other
high-contrast combinations for a more personalized result.
Why Contrast Matters
Colorwork motifs depend on contrast.
Two yarns that look very different in the skein can sometimes have
surprisingly similar values when knitted together, causing the design to
disappear.
A quick way to test your choices is to photograph the yarns together and
view the image in grayscale. If they remain clearly different, the motif
is more likely to remain visible.
Needles and Gauge
The original pattern information lists
US 6 / 4.0 mm needles.
The published gauge is approximately
23 stitches per 4 inches / 10 cm.
Use these numbers as a reference rather than assuming the listed needle
automatically produces the correct result.
Individual knitting tension varies, so swatching remains important.
Swatch in Colorwork
If possible, test at least part of your swatch using both colors.
Many knitters discover that their stranded knitting is tighter than
their single-color stockinette.
A colorwork swatch can therefore tell you more about the final fit than
a plain stockinette swatch alone.
Why Colorwork Hats Are Great Practice Projects
A hat is much smaller than a stranded sweater, making it a practical
project for learning a new technique.
You can practice:
- Reading a colorwork chart
- Working with two colors
- Managing floats
- Maintaining even tension
- Knitting in the round
- Following repeated motifs
- Shaping a knitted crown
Once these skills feel comfortable on a hat, larger stranded projects
can seem much less intimidating.
Reading a Colorwork Chart
Colorwork charts visually represent the stitches in each round.
Each square represents a stitch and its color tells you which yarn to
use.
When knitting in the round, chart rows are generally read consistently
in the direction of your knitting.
Always follow the instructions supplied with the specific pattern or
chart because chart conventions can vary.
Use Stitch Markers to Track Repeats
If a colorwork motif repeats around the hat, markers can make it easier
to recognize where each repeat begins and ends.
This can help you catch a chart-reading mistake before it continues
around several rounds.
Just make sure markers do not interfere with decreases or other shaping
later in the project.
Check the Motif Frequently
One advantage of graphic colorwork is that mistakes often become
visually obvious.
Stop occasionally and look at the developing design from a short
distance.
A misplaced contrasting stitch can be easier to spot in the overall
image than while concentrating on individual chart squares.
Keep the Inside Neat
The inside of a stranded hat will naturally show floats.
They do not need to look identical, but they should be reasonably even
and flexible.
Extremely tight floats can affect fit, while very loose floats may catch
on fingers when the hat is put on.
Blocking Makes a Difference
Gentle blocking can significantly improve stranded knitting.
It allows stitches to settle and can help small irregularities in
tension become less noticeable.
Always choose a blocking method appropriate for the fiber content of
your yarn.
Who Would Enjoy This Project?
This style of hat is especially appealing to knitters who enjoy
pop-culture-inspired projects and graphic colorwork.
It was originally designed as a gift for a Star Wars fan, and that gift
idea helped make the pattern popular among knitters.
The combination of a practical winter accessory and a recognizable
motif gives the project much of its appeal.
Pattern Availability Update
Storm Trooper Beanie by Lindsay (Bundle) was previously
available as a free knitting pattern.
However, its current Ravelry record now states that the design is
discontinued and that the digital pattern is no longer available
online.
Because Amazing Knitting verifies pattern availability periodically, we
have removed the old “Free Pattern” description rather than continue
sending readers to an unavailable download.
View the Original Pattern Record
Ravelry still maintains the historical record for the original design.
It is useful for confirming the designer, yarn weight, gauge, yardage,
construction and project history, even though the pattern itself is no
longer available for download.
View the Storm Trooper Beanie Pattern Record →
Looking for an Available Alternative?
Because the original Lindsay (Bundle) pattern is discontinued, look for
currently available stranded-colorwork beanie patterns if your main goal
is to practice the same knitting techniques.
Search for designs using terms such as
stranded colorwork beanie,
two-color knitted hat or
beginner Fair Isle hat.
Choose an alternative based on its current availability, gauge, size and
yarn requirements rather than assuming that another pattern with
“Stormtrooper” in its title is the same design.
Storm Trooper Beanie is a design by Lindsay (Bundle). Amazing Knitting
does not reproduce the copyrighted pattern instructions. The pattern
was formerly available free but is currently listed as discontinued
and unavailable online.
Read Our Pattern Availability Policy →
