I love textured stitches and I love simple patterns that are easy to commit to physical memory. My hands remember so my brain can wander! Here is my take on a simple crochetted cable hat.

I wrote this pattern to be flexible and accomodate different yarn weights and head sizes. All you need is your tape measure and some very basic math skills(counting and multiplication).

 I know there are a couple of mistakes in the hat I made. I believe it is okay to leave a few human errors as long as it does not take away from the beauty of a piece.  This is proof that it is handmade. Leave perfection up to the machines!

tape measure

hook- size G,  4mm , you can use whatever size hook you want

 yarn- knitpicks bare worsted Wool of the Andes. I dyed it with onion skins mordanted with alum. You can use whatever yarn you want.

yardage- I used a little less than 200 yards, 183 m

My hat is 5 inches, 12.5 cm tall,  6 inches, 15cm across at the top and a circumference of 22 inches, 55 cm at the bottom.  Make the top circle larger for a larger hat and smaller for a smaller hat. Make it as tall or short as you want by adjusting the number of cable pattern repeats .  You can also adjust the length of the brim by adding or subtracting rounds.

The gauge for my hat is 12 hdc and 10 rounds equals 4 inches, 10cm.

The gauge is not really important as long as you use your tape measure.

pattern notes :

This pattern is worked in the round. Chain 2 for the first stitch in each round. Each round is joined with a slip stitch in the top of the first stitch (the second chain in the chain 2)

stitches:

 hdc- half double crochet - yarn over, insert hook in stitch you are working, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook

 fpt - front post treble - yarn over two times, insert hook from front to back to front around the back of the post of the stitch you are working, yarn over, pull loop through two loops on hook, yarn over, pull loop through two loops on hook, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops on hook.

please read pattern notes before beginning

1. make magic adjustable ring (see Donna Hulka's tutorial to learn this technique) or if you are scared of the magic ring, just chain 3 and join with a slip stitch, then work the 5 hdc in the ring of 3 chains, move on to round 3

 2. 5 hdc in ring and tighten

 3. 2 hdc in each hdc

 4. 2 hdc in each hdc

 5. (1 hdc in next 1 stitch, 2 hdc in next stitch), repeat to end

 6. (1 hdc in next 2 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch), repeat to end

 7. (1 hdc in next 3 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch), repeat to end

 8. (1 hdc in next 4 stitches, 2 hdc in next stitch), repeat to end

continue in this manner of increase until flat top circle of hat is the desired size. (I stopped increasing after 8 rounds, about 6 inches, 15 cm, for a size small hat).

set up round. 1 hdc in each stitch around. Increase or decrease a few stitches in this round if you need to, to end up with a total number of stitches that is a multiple of 8.

 begin cable pattern

1. (1 hdc in each of the next 4 stitches, fpt around next 4 stitches), repeat to end

2. ( 1 hdc in next 4 stitches, skip 2 fpt's, 1 fpt around each of the next 2 fpt's. Go back and work 1 fpt around each of the 2 fpt's you skipped (these stitches cross over the first 2 fpt's)), repeat to end

3. (1 hdc in each of the next 4 stitches, 1 fpt around each of the next 4 stitches ( you really have to dig for that second fpt!)), repeat to end

4. repeat round 2

5. repeat round 3

continue in this manner until hat is desired length (I made mine about 4 inches, 10 cm, then added a folded brim)

last round. hdc in each stitch around

For optional folded brim:

stop cable pattern about 1 inch, 2.5 cm before desired hat length continue crochetting rounds of hdc until brim is desired length. (I made mine 3 rounds, about 1 inch, 2.5 cm)

turn, continue crochetting the same number of rounds you just crochetted worked in the opposite direction, turn work only one time. (3 rounds for mine, for a total brim length of 6 rounds, about 2 inches, 5 cm unfolded)

this technique insures that the part of the brim that is folded up shows the right side