I’m sharing a dude-approved cable hat pattern for the Braided Beanie. As longtime readers may know, I was terrified of knitting for many years. My grandmother tried to teach me back when I was 9 or so (when she taught me to crochet), but everything I made turned into a trapezoid.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. Yarn for the sample was generously provided by Imperial Yarn.
For over 20 years, I was afraid to try to knit. When I finally picked knitting up again, my main motivation was to learn how to create cables. I have always loved the look of knitted cables.
This stretchy, unisex hat is all about featuring the braided cables. You can wear them in the front…
…or at the side. If you love cables but are not so fond of the fiddliness of working a bunch of them in the round, this might be the hat for you. This pattern was originally published in Love of Knitting’s 2014 Holiday Knitting issue. I had the chance to use Imperial Yarn Erin for the first time. It’s a delightful wool yarn with great stitch definition.
If you make your own Braided Beanie, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Bluesky as @UndergroundCrafter, Facebook as @UndergroundCrafter, or on Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and private access to my vault of subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!
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Braided Beanie
Knit Cable Hat Pattern by Underground Crafter
Updated 3/13/19
A single, braided cable adds visual appeal to this stretchy, unisex beanie. Wear the cable at the center or to the side for different looks.
Finished Size
- Adult Small: 18” (46 cm) hat circumference x 8” (20.5 cm) height.
Materials
- Imperial Yarn Erin (100% wool, 4 oz/113 g/225 yd/206 m) – 1 skein in 328 Teal Shadow, or approximately 218 yd (199.5 m) in any medium weight yarn.
- US Size 8/5 mm 40″ (100 cm) circular knitting needles (or set of DPNs, for small circumference knitting in the round), or any size needed to obtain gauge.
- US Size 7/4.5 mm 16” (40.5 cm) circular knitting needles, or any size needed to obtain gauge.
- 3 stitch markers.
- Cable needle.
- Yarn needle.
Gauge
- 19 sts x 16 rows in pattern (excluding cable) using larger needles = 4” (10 cm). For best fit, always check your gauge.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- C8B – 8-st right leaning cable – Sl 4 sts to cn, hold cn at back, k4, k4 from cn. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below the pattern abbreviations.
- C8F – 8-st left leaning cable – Sl 4 sts to cn, hold cn at front, k4, k4 from cn. A helpful video tutorial for this stitch is available below the pattern abbreviations.
- cn – cable needle
- CO – cast on
- k – knit
- k2tog – knit 2 sts together (decrease) A helpful video tutorial for this decrease is available below.
- If you can’t see the k2tog video above, watch it on YouTube.
- p – purl
- pm – place marker
- p2tog – purl 2 sts together (decrease) – VeryPink Knits has a helpful video tutorial for this decrease here.
- rep – repeat
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- sl – slip
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- * Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- A helpful video tutorial for the C8B and C8F patterns is available below the pattern abbreviations.
- If you can’t see the video tutorial above for the C8B and C8F cables, watch it on YouTube.
Pattern Notes
- Pattern is worked with cable in the center. To ease in placement, 2 additional stitch markers are positioned around cable in Rnd 1 of Garter Ridge and Cable pattern.
- Slip markers up each Rnd.
Pattern Instructions
Beanie
- Beginning at brim with smaller needles, CO 97.
- Set-Up Row: *P2, k2; rep from * across to last st, k1, pm#1, join and begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
- Rnd 1: *P2, k2; rep from * around to last st, k1.
- Rep Rnd 1 until piece measures approximately 1″ (2.5 cm) from beginning.
Garter Ridge and Cable pattern
- Switch to larger needles.
- Rnd 1: P42, pm#2, k12, pm#3, p43.
- Rnd 2: *(K6, p1) 6 times,** k12, p1; rep from * to ** around.
- Rnd 3: *(K6, p1) 6 times,** k4, C8F, p1; rep from * to ** around.
- Rnd 4: Rep Rnd 2.
- Rnd 5: P42, k12, p43.
- Rnd 6: Rep Rnd 2.
- Rnd 7: *(K6, p1) 6 times,** C8B, k4, p1; rep from * to ** around.
- Rnd 8: Rep Rnd 2.
- Rnd 9: Rep Rnd 5.
- Rep Rnds 2-9 until hat measures approximately 7” (18 cm) in height, ending after Rnd 8.
Shape crown
- Rnd 10: *(P2tog, p3, p2tog) 6 times,** k2tog twice, k8, p1; rep from * to ** around. (71 sts)
- Rnd 11: *(K2, k2tog, p1) 6 times,** k6, k2tog twice, p1; rep from * to ** around. (57 sts)
- Rnd 12: *(K2tog, k1, p1) 6 times,** remove marker#2, sl 4 sts to cn, hold cn at front, k4, k2tog twice from cn, remove marker#3, p1; rep from * to ** around. (43 sts)
- Rnd 13: *(K2tog, p1) 6 times,** k2tog, k2, k2tog, p1; rep from * to ** around. (29 sts)
- Rnd 14: *(P2, p2tog) 3 times,** k2, k2tog, p1; rep from * to ** around. (22 sts)
- Rnd 15: *(K2tog, p1) 3 times,** k1, k2tog, p1; rep from * to ** around. (15 sts)
- Rnd 16: K2tog around to last st, k1, remove marker#1. (8 sts) Fasten off with long yarn tail for seaming.
Finishing
- Thread yarn tail through yarn needle. Pull yarn tail firmly through sts several times, drawing tightly to close crown. Remove sts from needle. Finish off by weaving yarn tails inside of hat.
This looks SO cute! Definitely digging into my stash to make some for the holidays.
This looks like a quick knit with more style than usual. Thanks, Marie.
And it works beautifully on my teapot too! Loved the pattern just had to modify for handle and spout. Thank you for this…