Cabled Hat Knitting Patterns

For some reason cabled hats remind me of deep winter, like they’re the warmest possible kind of hat you could have. That isn’t necessarily true, but these cable knit hat patterns would be great if you’re getting ready for winter or need a cozy hat for any time of year.

The easiest cables are little braids, and you’ll get lots of practice working them with this basic cable hat pattern from LSGCrafts. The pattern includes options to make it slouchy or more of a beanie, and I think it uses bulky yarn.

If you want a more subtle cable pattern you can try the Elle hat from Yelena Chen. This one is a mostly ribbed hat with a bit of diagonal cables that almost look like hearts. The hat is worked from the bottom up and includes a chart for the cables. One size is available and it uses worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

I love the color of the Chestertown Hat from Donna Estin Designs, probably because it just looks like fall. It also looks like a great project to try if knitting an Aran sweater is in your plans, because it features a couple of classic cable configurations you’ll do well to practice before taking on a bigger project. The pattern has a foldover brim for extra warmth, and is worked in worsted weight yarn with one size available.

Another pretty pairing of classic braids is found on the Campfire Beanie from Woolfield. This one also comes in one size and uses worsted weight yarn, and has a folded brim. It’s considered intermediate, as probably all of these are because of the cables and shaping that happens in them.

Go bolder with your cable choices with the Jar of Hearts Hat by Christy Houghton. This pretty twisted heart cable hat is worked in DK weight yarn and includes one size. The cable pattern is charted but this is a pretty easy one even if you’re new to cables and charts. Grab a copy from Ravelry.

I also like the Amberleigh hat and cowl duo pattern from Felicia Kulp (Ravelry). These patterns are sold in one download so you can make either or both with this fun round cable with textured stitches inside. The patterns call for worsted weight yarn and there’s one size of each in the pattern.

It’s a common complaint among women and femme dressing folk that our clothes do not include enough (and enough useful) pockets. And even if your clothes do have good pockets, there’s always a chance that you’d rather have another pocket to put some essentials in rather than having to carry a whole bag.

But because we are knitters, we can take this problem into our own needles and knit ourselves some auxiliary pockets.

Beatrice Mase did just that, with a kind of fancy toolbelt pocket accessory that they call VELVET Pockets.

The stitch pattern has a plush, sort of velvet effect, thus the name, but it’s worked with regular fingering/sock weight yarn. (The sample uses wool, but you could experiment with other fibers, too.) It calls for 776 yards of 710 meters, which you might just have in your sock yarn stash.

The pattern includes several pockets of different sizes, with the main body of the pocket worked flat in one piece and the exterior pockets sewn on at the end. You also have the option of adding screw rivets and a coordinating clasp that make it look even more toolbelt chic.

The design is worked with a loop of knit fabric at the top so it can slide onto a belt. The pattern includes explanatory diagrams, photo and video tutorials and is adjustable to fit different sizes of belts.

It’s almost enough to make me want to start wearing belts again, even though I haven’t for years. Because who wouldn’t want a few extra little pockets to hold things when you don’t have enough to really justify carrying a bag around?

The pattern is available in English and French on Ravelry and you can also buy a kit complete with the yarn, rivets and clasp (the pattern is not included in the kit) direct on Etsy.

[Photo: Beatrice Mase]

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