Little Cables Hat

Some people asked about the pattern for the little cables hat that I made here. And now I had finally got around to writing it down! Let me know if you have any questions, or if anything is unclear. This is the first time I’ve written a pattern, so go easy on me 🙂 If you make one let me know, I’d love to see it. I’d appreciate feedback too.

UPDATE: Rose Red had written an adult version of this hat, I’ve added it to the pattern below. Thanks, Rose Red!!

Little cables

Little cables close up

Adult size and baby size

Adult and baby hats side by side, picture courtesy of Rose Red

Sizes: Baby (approx. 0-6 months, to fit head circumference up to 40cm / 16 inches), and Adult. The numbers for Adult size are given inside round brackets in the pattern.

Baby Size
Gauge: 24 sts x 32 rows to 10cm/4” in stockinette in the round

Materials:
Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, or any 4 ply/Sport weight yarn, 1 ball.
3.25mm (US 3) double-pointed needles or circulars, or size to get gauge.
A cable needle or spare DPN.

Adult Size
Gauge: 22 sts x 28 rows over 10cm/4” in stockinette in the round

Materials:
Any 8 ply/DK weight yarn, approx 1.5 x 50g balls.
4mm (US 6) double-pointed needles or circulars, or size to get gauge.
A cable needle or spare DPN.

Stitches:
C4B: Slip 2 stitches to a cable needle, hold to the back. Knit 2 stitches from left needle, and then knit the 2 stitches from cable needle.

Directions:

Using circulars or DPNs, cast on 80 (112) stitches. Place marker to note beginning of round and join.

Ribbing
Work 6 (8) rounds of 1×1 ribbing as follows: *k1, p1, repeat from * to end.
Note: Alternatively you can do 2×2 ribbing, as follows: *k2, p2, repeat from * to end.

Increase row (for Baby size only)
[m1, k20] 4 times. 4 stitches increased. Total 84 stitches.

All sizes
**
K all stitches for 8 (7) rounds.

Next round: [C4B, k10] 6 (8) times.

K all stitches for 2 rounds.

Next round: [C4B, k10] 6 (8) times.
***

K all stitches for 8 (7) rounds.

Next round: K7, [C4B, k10] 5 (7) times, C4B, k3.

K all stitches for 2 rounds.

Next round: K7, [C4B, k10] 5 (7) times, C4B, k3.

Repeat the directions marked between ** and *** above.

K all stitches for 1 round.

Little Cables Hat

Baby hat

Decreasing

Next round: K8, [k2tog, k12] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 78 (104) stitches.

K all stitches for 1 round.

Next round: K7, [k2tog, k11] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 72 (96) stitches.

K all stitches for 1 round.

Next round: K6, [k2tog, k10] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 66 (88) stitches.

K all stitches for 1 (0) round.

Next round: K5, [k2tog, k9] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 60 (80) stitches.

Next round: K4, [k2tog, k8] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 54 (72) stitches.

Next round: K3, [k2tog, k7] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 48 (64) stitches.

Next round: K2, [k2tog, k6] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 42 (56) stitches.

Next round: K1, [k2tog, k5] 5 (7) times, k2tog, k4. Total 36 (48) stitches.

For Adult size only:
Next round: [K2tog, k4] 7 times, Total 40 stitches.

Next round: [K2tog, k3] 7 times, Total 32 stitches.

All sizes:
Next round: *K2tog. Repeat from * around. Total 18 (16) stitches.

Next round: *K2tog. Repeat from * around. Total 9 (8) stitches.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining 9 (8) stitches, gather and tie off. Weave in ends. Add pompom. Or not.

From the top

Baby hat, view from the top

Adult sized hat modelled

Adult hat modeled by Rose Red’s hubby, picture courtesy of Rose Red

Comments

Rose Red says:

This hat is great – I will definitely give this pattern a go – thanks for sharing it.

Kristie says:

The pattern looks pretty clearly written to me Caludine! And I love the top of the beanie, it’s really well constructed 🙂

Megan says:

Cutest. Hat. Ever.

isel says:

So pretty. Thanks for sharing!

Chrissy says:

I love those little cables. They add a lot to the hat. It really looks good.

Katie says:

Thanks for sharing the pattern.

sue says:

thank you for the pattern I would love to make this for my grandson

Gaile says:

Thank you for sharing this! It’s one of the cutest patterns I’ve seen. I LOVE the little cables.

Michelle says:

very cute hat. better go get myself some baby yarn. i have a friend whose baby is due this coming june 🙂

laura b says:

So cute! Now I just need to find a baby to make this for!

Sue says:

Wonderful baby hat pattern. I will definately need to make one up for a few babies due later in the year, and will let you know once I have too. Thank you for sharing your wonderful pattern too.

What a sweet little hat!

bells says:

oh perfect timing! Thank you. I’m looking for a baby hat pattern for a baby that is being born as we speak. 🙂

Meg says:

congrats on your first written-down pattern! It looks great!

janetd says:

this is so sweet! thank you so much for the pattern. i knit lots of baby hats & will add this one very soon.

Silja says:

What a cute hat! I have to mae that for my daughter.

Thomasean says:

Hi,
Thanks for the pattern. It is soo cute. I can’t seem to find the adult version. Can you help me???

claudine says:

Adult version has now been added! 🙂

ciarran says:

I love your pattern! I want to knit a hat/scarf set though. Have you any ideas on how to break the pattern down for a woman’s scarf?

charity says:

Love the pattern! I’m just wondering what size baby it would fit?

Dette says:

I just love this pattern! Only I am a disaster at using circular or double pointed needles. How would I do this on straight needles? I also would like to do a scarf, that way it’s a set. Thanks

I agree with Dette ..love the pattern. never used dpn’s or circular needles. can I do this on straight needles? Scarf? thank you so much for your time

Liz says:

I knitted this hat in Debbie Bliss (baby size). I found it a little too small, so did the Adult size in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino on 3.25mm needles and got a much better size for baby / toddler. Also, I don’t much like knitting in the round and so knitted flat and then sewed up.

Liz

I knitted the baby version with 4 ply sport yarn and a 3.5 circular needle and it turned out to be an adult sized hat. It is still very cute, but have to wonder if the number of stitches is correct on the pattern.
I checked the gauge and it wasn’t off by that much. any suggestions?

claudine says:

Hi Mary, sorry to hear that the hat didn’t come out as expected, but I’m glad you still find it cute 🙂 I suspect gauge might be a problem, unfortunately sometimes even small differences in gauge can translate to big differences in the finished object… You might want to try with smaller needles (the baby hat that I made was knitted with 3.25mm needles) or even lighter yarn? If you’re finding the hat is too tall/deep for a baby, you might be able to reduce the number of plain knit rows between the cables. As in, on the lines that say “K all stitches for 8 (7) rounds” you can just change that to “K all stitches for X rounds” where X is a number less than 8 (if you’re making the baby version), say 5 or 6, for example.

I hope this helps, let me know if you still have any questions!

Hannah's Mommy says:

Claudine, lovely hat! I played a little with gauge/yarn (used 3.25mm/US 3 DPNs and Zara Plus merino aran wool) to fit my friend’s little one.. The hat came out perfectly and was a quick, fun project 🙂

Jeanne Zipser says:

I knitted this hat already on size 7 needle using 80 stitches and light worsted weight yarn–should fit a toddler. But, now I would like to make it for an adult using medium worsted weight yarn. Can you please give an update using an 8 or 9 needle? It’s an excellent pattern! Is there a scarf pattern. Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Donna Hawkins England says:

Fantastic hats!

Claudine lovely pattern.. can’t wait to start it! I am going to try it for my niece (5 yrs old).. thanks for sharing!

poguebetsy says:

What a clearly written pattern. I am a novice and was wondering what does C4B mean? Is that cable instructions? Maybe cable 2 and then knit 2? Any help would be great!

sharon b. says:

This is a lovely pattern. I worked it up as per instructions but wondered at what point do you change from circular needles to double point? I am not sure about how you divide for the double point part since there is no way you can complete it using just the circular needles or at least I can’t. Any suggestions.

sharon b. says:

Poguebetsy
If you follow the instruction for C4B within the pattern instructions you will not have any problems. I hadn’t done any cable stitches before myself and it worked just fine.

sharon b. says:

I finished two more baby hats using this pattern. Thankyou so much. They are very cute!!

Nicole_B says:

For the last week, I have been a bit of a frustrated knitter as I could not for the life of me find a baby hat pattern that inspired me – and one of my girlfriends has requested one! I just found this pattern and I love it!!!!!!!! Am going to start tomorrow!

Does anyone know what ages for baby?

Knitus says:

Simply beautiful!
Thanks for sharing, I have been looking for a delicate
pattern for my 4 month old baby girl for days now – this is adorable, I intend on adding a knitted flower or two to the side of it! I love it!!!!!

Tracey says:

I just looked this pattern up again and thankfully it’s still posted! Made one of these hats for myself a couple of years ago and loved it – now my mom has requested a hat and this was the first pattern that came to mind! Thanks so much for sharing

Terryn says:

How do you finish the top of the hat with the circular needles? Since I can’t reach the stiches because it is too tight. Any suggestions?

Holly says:

Terryn,

When the hat gets too small for your circular needles switch to the same size double-pointed needles.

claudine says:

Terryn, so sorry for my late reply, I’ve been offline for a bit.

When you get to the decreases part towards the top of the hat, you’ll need to change to double pointed needles (DPNs), as the circumference is getting smaller. Or, if you have a longer circular needles, you can try a technique called “magic loop”, which allows you to knit through small circumferences with a circular needle. There are some great video tutorials on both techniques here: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques

Clarinda says:

I too would love to get this pattern using my #8 circulars. The hat looks really cute!

Helen says:

Rose Red,

I like the picture of the hats (baby/adult) but my hat does not look like the picture. I followed the directions as they were written but was I suppose to knit 5 (7) rows or is that the count for that particular row. Please clear this up for me.

claudine says:

Helen,

When the pattern says something like “[X] 5 (7) times”, it means that, in that particular row, you work X (whatever is inside the square bracket) 5 times for the baby hat, or 7 times for an adult hat.

I hope that helps.

Francesca & Shaz says:

Love the site, Hanny your bro in law referred us, he is watching me type this!! Do you have a simple pattern for socks. Thanks Francesca & Shaz

Zul says:

Hi,
I am a beginner knitter. I am working on this pattern and need to know what [C4B, k10] 6 (8) times. means. Again I am a beginner.

Zul says:

Never mind I figured it out. Thanks anyways. : )

joyce says:

nice simple design..i like it. will give it a try =)