Beginner’s Cable Hat
Our Beginner’s Cable Hat puts the capable in cable! A wonderful introduction to knitting’s not-as-fancy-as-it-looks trick, this is a hat for first-timers and other fans of knits with a twist.
The big cable secret is really just switching up the stitch order: You slip a stitch or two onto a cable stitch holder, work a stitch or two from the working needle, then knit the original stitches off the holder. That’s it, overlapping stitches that evoke braids, vines… and future fisherman sweaters!
Our Super Soft Merino puts it all in high-relief, making it easy to visualize and navigate the twists and turns. You need just one skein for sizes baby through adult small and two skeins for adult large. So take your knitting for a spin and learn the next-level links: charming and forever-fascinating cables!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Adam Aronowitz.
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoBeginnersCableHat, and #PurlSohoSuperSoftMerino. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 1 (1, 1, 1, 2) skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this bulky weight yarn is approximately 87 yards/100 grams; approximately 46 (58, 65, 79, 87) yards required. We used Eggshell Blue for our Baby hat, Artemisia Green for the Kid one, and Heirloom White for the Adult Small.
NOTE: You may need only one skein for the Adult Large size (it’s close!). If you don’t end up needing the second skein, you can return unwound yarn for a refund within 30 days of purchase, or within 6 months, for store credit. Our Return Policy has all the details!
- US 11 (8 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- A set of US 11 double pointed needles
- Stitch markers, including one unique
- A cable stitch holder
Gauge
12 stitches and 18 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Sizes
Baby (Toddler, Kid, Adult Small, Adult Large)
Finished Circumference: 12 (14¾, 16, 18¾, 20) inches
Finished Height (from rolled edge): 6½ (7¼, 8¼, 8¾, 9½) inches
Notes
LC (Left Cross)
Slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, k2 from left needle, k1 from cable stitch holder.
RC (Right Cross)
Slip next 2 stitches purlwise from left needle to cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k1 from left needle, k2 from cable stitch holder.
Cable Decreases
LCD (Left Cable Decrease)
Slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, knit next 2 stitches on left needle together, k1 from cable stitch holder. [1 stitch decreased]
RCD (Right Cable Decrease)
Slip next 2 stitches purlwise from left needle to cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k1 from left needle, knit 2 stitches on cable stitch holder together. [1 stitch decreased]
Pattern
Body
Cast 36 (44, 48, 56, 60) stitches onto circular needles. Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Knit every round until piece measures 1¼ inch from cast-on edge, unrolled.
Marker Set-Up Round: [K9 (11, 12, 14, 15), place marker] 3 times, knit to end of round.
Cable Round: [RC (see Notes), knit to 4 stitches before next marker, LC (see Notes), k1, slip marker (sm)] 4 times.
Knit 5 (6, 6, 6, 7) rounds even in stockinette stitch.
Repeat Cable Round.
Knit 4 (5, 5, 5, 6) rounds even in stockinette stitch.
Repeat Cable Round.
Knit 3 (4, 4, 4, 5) rounds even in stockinette stitch.
Repeat Cable Round.
Knit 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) rounds even in stockinette stitch.
Repeat Cable Round.
Crown
NOTE: Change to double pointed needles when necessary.
Decrease Round: [RCD (see Notes), knit to 4 stitches before next marker, LCD (see Notes), k1, sm] 4 times. [8 stitches decreased]
Next Round: Knit to end of round.
Repeat last 2 rounds 0 (1, 2, 3, 3) more time(s). [28 (28, 24, 24, 28) stitches remain]
Rapid Decrease Round: *Knit 2 together, repeat from * to end of round. [14 (14, 12, 12, 14) stitches remain]
Repeat Rapid Decrease Round once more. [7 (7, 6, 6, 7) stitches remain]
Cut yarn, leaving a 10-inch tail.
Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle, then thread needle through remaining live stitches twice. Pull tight and bring tail to inside of hat and weave it in.
Weave in remaining end(s) and block as desired.
LEARN ABOUT SUPER SOFT MERINO + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
The best reason to use Super Soft Merino for this project is because it is the dreamiest, cuddliest, toastiest yarn you can imagine! A single ply of 100% merino wool, Super Soft Merino has a nice, loose spin that shows off the softness of its fiber and keeps it nice and lightweight. Its gauge ranges from a chunky/bulky-weight to super bulky-weight (2.75-3.25 stitches per inch), making it a great choice for quick (and beautiful!) hand-knit gifts. And more… Super Soft Merino comes in over 30 amazing colors, too!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Super Soft Merino knitting patterns and cast on!
More Chunky/Bulky + Super Bulky-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of chunky/bulky weight yarns
- Shop our entire collection of super bulky-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Is Pom Pom kit available now?
Hi Laura,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately our Pom Pom Kit is out of stock at the moment – I’m so sorry about that! However, if you enter your email address on the product page, we’ll let you know as soon as it’s back!
Best,
Julianna
Is there a video tutorial of this beginner cable hat?
Hello Betty,
Thanks for reaching out! While we do not currently have a tutorial for this pattern, I will certainly pass along your request!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
A video tutorial for this hat would be wonderful!!!
Hi Stacey,
Thanks for your comment! I just wanted to jump in and suggest our 1-On-1 Project Help sessions in case that might be helpful! You can sign up for a 45-minute Zoom session about any questions you have and we can help in real-time with video as well. I hope this was useful! Have a great rest of your day!
All the best,
Cat
How should I have my friend measure her head for the correct size hat?
Hi Sue,
Great question! I would have your friend measure around her head just above her eyebrows, where the hat will be sitting, and then choose a size that has a finished measurement two to four inches smaller than her actual head measurement.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
If head measures 22-23” then size to knit would be Adult Small with a 56 stitch cast on? I started in Adult Large but after reading this comment I think I should restart one size down. Yes?
Thanks
Hi Melanie,
Great question! You could choose to knit either the Adult Small or Adult Large, depending on how you want the hat to fit. The Adult Large will be tight enough to stay on comfortably, but will have a slightly slouchy fit, while the Adult Small will have a snugger beanie-style fit. The Adult Large should be fine so you don’t have to start over!
Best,
Julianna
Yes I would be interested in easy cable patterns
Hi Nadine,
Thanks for reaching out! This hat is a wonderful project for learning cables! You may find our Cable Tutorial helpful!
Best,
Julianna
I would love to learn cable knitting! I need a video as well to learn. Thanks for all your amazing patterns and yarns.
Hi Cara,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t have a video for cables, but you may find our Cable Tutorial helpful!
Best,
Julianna
Julianna: A friend wants to make this hat and is puzzled by the directions to cast on to size 11 circular needles (plural). Is this hat knit initially on one circular needle, before changing to dps? I think two needles indicates Magic Loop? Thanks so much, Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for reaching out! Circular needles can be referred to as needles, plural, even when you are using just one circular needle, as technically there are two needle tips on a single circular needle. For this hat, we mean to cast on the stitches onto a single US 11 16″ circular needle and work the main body of the hat on that needle, and then switch to double pointed needles when necessary while working the crown decreases. If you are familiar with the Magic Loop method and have a 32 or 40 inch long US 11 needle, you could knit the whole hat using that method instead if you wish!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I started this hat for my grandkids and seem to be very confused. It seems very easy to me, but doesn’t look right. I was past the 3rd cable row and ripped it out. My second attempt looks the same. I even had a fellow knitting buddy look at it and she didn’t see anything wring with what I did. We were wondering if my markers are in the wrong place or something is wrong with the cable row. Frustrating!
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out! It’s hard to say what might be going wrong without seeing your work. We have had the pattern professionally test knitted, so the cable row should work out correctly! If you can, please send us a picture of your work at [email protected] so we can try to trouble shoot this for you!
Best,
Julianna
Can I add the other half of each cable? I am finishing some multi-cable wrist warmers, so might be able to figure it out. Otherwise, I’d stick with the pattern.
I want to make a small adult hat in Toft silver-gray chunky wool that recommends 8 or 10 mm. needles.
Thanks.
Hi Judy,
Thanks for reaching out! If you are considering alternating the direction of the cables within the same column, that should be fine, but I would not recommend adding additional columns of cables. Cables cause the knitted fabric to contract and get narrower, so adding more cables may make your hat turn out too small. Otherwise, your yarn sounds like a great match for the pattern!
Best,
Julianna
I agree with Carol Quan. I finished the hat and it does not look like your hat. It is close. but not exactly a cable. I thought I followed the pattern very carefully. I will send a photo.
Hi JoAnne,
Thanks for writing in and for sending along the photo! Your lovely hat looks exactly right! My one suggestion would be that perhaps a quick steam block (using the steam from a steamer or iron about 6 inches above the finished hat) might help to make the cables pop a bit more and look closer to our images. We do block all of our finished items and this can help even out the stitches and make textures like cables more prominent. Either way, I think that your finished hat is quite lovely!
Best,
Cassy
I think I know what may be troubling Carol Quan and J Greenwood. The pattern is written correctly but the full cable appears to be done once at the beginning and end of the round. I missed the [bracket at the beginning of the directions to the Cable Round and only cabled before AND after the round marker and then cabled only before the other 3 markers.
This may also shed some light on Judy’s comment about “adding the other half of each cable.”
Will have to rip back and start over, too. Oh well.
Hope all this makes sense 🙂
Hi Penny,
Great catch, that does seem to explain things! You are correct that the full repeat goes all the way back to the first bracket, and there are two cables in the full repeat, a Right Cross at the beginning of the repeat and a Left Cross at the end, for a total of 8 cables worked in the Cable Round. I’m sorry you have to start over, but hopefully your advice helps out many knitters!
Best,
Julianna
I cast 56 stitches on a 12″ circular needle, and there is no way the knitting will stretch out far enough for the two ends to meet. Tried the “magic loop” and it does not seem appropriate for this application. ????
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m sorry to hear that you are having problems with the stitches fitting. I believe magic loop should be fine to work this pattern in the round! You could also start off with the double pointed needles. Just make sure to keep track of the stitch marker placement to insure the cables are correct!
Hope this helps,
Gianna
Hi! I’m in the process of knitting this hat. When you say “knit 6 rounds even in stockinette stitch” do you mean just knit 6 rounds? Thanks!
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, that just means to knit 6 rounds!
All the best,
Gianna
Thank you! I’m making my hat in bright blue. ☺️
So glad this question was asked. I was just wondering about the same, because I couldn’t understand the reference to ‘even’. Thanks
Can this be knit flat? Thanks!
Hi Shari,
Thanks for reaching out! You could possibly knit this hat flat, but I would recommend sticking with the pattern and working it in the round since the pattern is only written including right side instructions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi I seem to have run out of yarn making the adult small. Am I correct in reading that each cable round is 4 times? I measure 7″ from the rolled up brim and have yet to do the last cable round and the crown. Trying to figure out what went wrong…
Hi Christa,
Thanks for reaching out! You will be repeating the cable round a total of 5 times in the body section of the hat before reaching the crown shaping! My best guess is that your gauge may have been off to begin with causing you to use up more yarn or you worked too many stockinette rounds in between cable rounds! I would recommend double checking the gauge of your hat and the rows between the cables, since one skein of Super Soft Merino should be plenty for the Adult Small Size!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Finished the cable hat. On my way to kitting another.
Made size adult small. When blocking the hat, the pattern measurement says “8 3/4 inches from the rolled edge.” Do I measure from the top crown down to the rolled edge; just the vertical flat “body” of the hat? Should I think of the rolled edge like ribbed edge on a hat or a sweater?
Lovely wool, it knits into a beautiful fabric for the hat.
Sue
Hi Sue,
Thanks for reaching out! The measurements provided for the hat are the dimensions unblocked! So prior to blocking, your hat should measure 8¾ from the rolled edge (the hat as is without pressing down the edge, as you can see on the model the bottom edge is slightly rolled) to the top of the crown. You can then block the hat as desired!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi!
Is there a Knit Round after the 5th Cable Round on the body….. or do you start right in with the Decrease Round for the crown?
I hope I’m reading this correctly….because there is one Knit Round between the Decrease Rounds until you get to the Rapid Decrease Rounds. I feel soooo challenged!!
Hi Joyce,
Thanks for reaching out! After you finish the final Repeat Cable Round you will move directly onto the decrease round!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello! I knit the Adult Large in this beautiful pattern and love it, but I have kind of a big head and it feels a little too tight and a little too short. Do you have a simple suggestion for an XL size? Would it just be adding 4 stitches (one to each set between markers) and adding one extra cable (instead of going from five rows between cables to three near the end, doing a five, then a four, then a three)?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, the best way to make this hat a bit wider would be to add 4 stitches (or a multiple of 4 stitches) to the cast-on. And to make it a bit longer, I’d recommend working a round or two more of stockinette between each Cable Round in the body of the hat. Hope this helps–you already have all the right ideas!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks so much – you folks are the best. Happy new year!
How do you recommend weaving in the end on the cast on edge, where the edge is rolled?
Hi Valerie,
Great question! I would recommend using duplicate stitch to weave in the end on the right side of the fabric. When the brim rolls up, it’ll be completely hidden!
All the best,
Lili