Easy cabled brim hat

Easy Cabled Brim Hat Knitting pattern

This is a pattern that is actually a combination of a few other patterns...easy to do even if you've never done cables before.  My sample is out of handspun Merino-Silk blend, spun approximately DK or Sport weight.  I will post a picture of the finished hat when it's blocked and ready.  I wanted to get the pattern onto Ravelry ASAP.

Materials:

1 skein of yarn.  You need about 200 yards or 130 grams.  More on yarn below.
1 circular needle, 16 or 24 inches long.
Optional:  another same size circ or a set of DPNs in the same size
Cable needle
Stitch markers

The size of the hat can be adjusted this way:
Size Large to fit most men:  Use a worsted or heavy worsted weight yarn and a size 7 or 8 needle. 
Size Medium to fit most women:  Use a DK or Sport weight or even a light worsted yarn and a size 6 or 7 needle.
Size Small to fit a larger child/adolescent:  Use a heavy fingering or heavy sock weight yarn and a size 5 or 6 needle.

Remember, if you make a hat that is too big you can always felt it down a little bit.  The one I'm making is on a size 6 needle.  It's got ribbing throughout the part of the hat that goes on your head so it'll fit well. 

As far as the type of needle, it's up to you.  I always use just one circular on my projects.  The 24 inch worked really well for me on this hat, until I got to the decreases and pulled a loop of it out.  When I start my decreases, I start using the magic loop method.  Here's a link to a tutorial:  http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/09/16/the-magical-magic-loop.aspx  There are also some You-tube videos on how to do it...just google them up.

You can also use two circular needles on any circular project even when it gets small with the decreases at the top.  Here's some help with that technique:  http://www.weebleknits.net/twocirculars.html  I have used two circular needles a lot in the past especially when I want to do two socks at the same time. 

You can also use DPNs (Double Pointed needles) for the entire hat.  Here is some help with those:  http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/FEATtheresa.html  Since I've switched to the magic loop I don't really use DPNs anymore, even on socks.

Directions:

Cast on 120 stitches.  Join in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.  Place a stitch marker where you join the stitches, this is your beginning/end of row marker.  I like the cable cast on, it's nice and stretchy, but use your favorite, making sure you don't make it too tight.  The cable cast on is shown here:  http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATsum05TT.html

Round 1-5:  *K2P2* all around (Knit 2, then Purl 2)

Round 6:  *K2, P2, C8F* all around.  The C8F is your cable row.  To do the C8F cable 8 front, Slip 4 stitches to a cable needle and hold it to the front of your work.  Now K2P2 from the next stitches on the circular needle, while you keep holding the cable needle in front of your work.  Then, being careful not to twist the cable needle, do the K2P2 from the cable needle.  Now proceed to the K2P2 on the circular and then repeat the cable.  It's fiddly at first, but I promise it's not difficult.  You'll get better with practice.  Some designers would call this a C4F because you actually take 4 stitches and put them in front of the others, some use all 8 because 4 go front and 4 actually go back.  Either way, every pattern should tell how the author wants it done.

Now, repeat Rounds 1-6 twice more.

Continue in K2, P2 rib pattern until the piece measures 8 inches long from the cast on.  If you're making a child's hat, you might want to make it 6 or 7 inches.  You're going to turn up the cabled portion so it'll shorten the hat a bit.

Decreases:  You're going to be placing stitch markers here.  It's a good idea to make your end/beginning of row marker a different color or put two in right there so you know it's the row marker.  Now, K2P2 for 20 stitches, place a marker, and repeat until you have all 6 stitch markers placed.

Round 1:  K2tog at the beginning of the section after the knit marker.  Then P2.  Repeat K2P2 until you reach the next stitch marker, then repeat it for the next section until you've K2 together in the first 2 stitches after each stitch marker in the whole round.

Round 2:  K1, P2tog after the stitch marker and finish the area with K2P2 until the next stitch marker.  Again repeat for each section until you finish the round.

Round 3:  P2tog, then K2P2 for the rest of the section.  Repeat for each section in the row.

Round 4:  K2tog, K1, P2.  Then K2P2 for the rest of the section, repeat for each section in the row.

Repeat rounds 1-4 until there are 8 stitches left on your needle(s) per section.  That's 48 total stitches.  Now:

Round 5, K2tog, P2tog, K2, P2, slip marker.  Repeat this for each section all around.

Round 6:  P2tog, K2tog, P2, slip marker.  Repeat this for each section all around.

Round 7:  K2tog, P2tog, remove marker.  Repeat this all around.

Now cut your yarn leaving at least a 12 inch tail.  Thread a tapestry needle and thread the yarn through all of the remaining stitches.  Pull this in, pass the yarn to the inside and weave in the tails.

The cable portion can be worn folded down or folded up as a brim.