A step by step pattern for a beautiful cable knit hat for with a contrasting pop pom
A while ago I finished my beautiful cable cowl “Into the desert” and I’m so in love with this cuddly design. It certainly gained quite some attention on Ravelry, much to my delight. I had 4 more skeins left of the luxurious camel hair yarn from Pascuali, and so I started designing a matching cable hat pattern.
It took a bit of tinkering to get the cables of the original design to converge towards a pom pom but I think I found a lovely solution, and I’m really satisfied with how it turned out. Over the years, the lovely community of knitters gave me so much and I feel now is the time to give back. So, I’m going to share the pdf pattern with all my newsletter subscribers for free. All you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll send the pattern straight to your inbox, so you can save it for later or print it right away.
This was quite an easy knit, though it requires some patience with all the cable stitches (read my tutorial on how to cable without a cable needle). I’d say, it’s not a pattern for beginners but it looks way more complicated than it actually is (still, here’s how to knit a hat for beginners). You do, however, need to be able to read a knitting chart.
Here are some stats:
- Wool: Pascuali Cairo Color 01 (Double Knit, 95 grams or 190 meters / 208 yards; now discontinued)
- Size M: (56-60 cm in circumference; can be adjusted to other sizes)
- Knit in the round on circular needles size 4
- Time to completion: around 10 hours
I really, really love the softness of the camel hair yarn. Unlike cashmere, the stitches remain refined enough to really show the cables. It appears a bit grey in pictures but it’s actually more greyish-brown. That being said, I guess knitting this pattern with a nice DK wool will make the cables pop out even more.
I went for a contrasting pom-pom. First of all, who doesn’t like a little sprinkle of color? And then, of course, pom poms are true yarn eaters and I didn’t feel like “wasting” half a skein for $20 USD on something that doesn’t get direct skin contact. I substituted it with red alpaca yarn and I feel it worked really well. Alpacas are camelids as well, after all, but the yarn is quite a bit cheaper. Not dead cheap obviously but you can find a nice bargain here and there.
When I started knitting this cable hat, I was really torn between designing a folded brim or not. It can look awesome but I guess it really depends on the form of the head. After some trials, I decided against it. I felt it wouldn’t look good on me and obviously it will eat away a big chunk of yarn as well. That begin said, it’s super easy to adjust my pattern to create a wider brim. Just add a couple of more rows in the twisted rib stitch.
Oh, and of course you can knit this hat with either dpns or the magic loop technique. I personally went for later and only changed to a needle set at the very top. I am usually a big fan of double-pointed knitting needles and don’t like the unavoidable laddering magic loop creates. But with so many cables, it’s just easier to knit with two needles instead of 4 dangling around.
Anyways, without further ado, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter and get my cable hat pattern “Into the Wild” for free and sent directly to your inbox.
(make sure to check your spam folder!)
And for those who need some hard numbers, materials used, and the knitting techniques you need, here’s some further information:
Note: I earn a small commission for purchases made through links in this article.
Materials:
- 200 meters of DK camel hair yarn or similar
- 50 meters of yarn for the pom pom
- Needle Set size 6 (4 mm) or circular needles of the same size; I used this knitter’s pride needle set
- Cable needle
- Scissors & a tapestry needle
- Cardboard or pom pom maker.
Knitting techniques used:
This pattern is knit in the round using double-pointed needles. Magic loop is a very viable alternative as well (and actually better for the lower part). You will also need to know how to read a knitting chart. In short, it’s suitable for intermediate knitters.
- knit stitch & purl stitch
- KTBL & PTBL
- K2tog & K2tog tbl
- P2tog & Ptog tbl
- Cable Stitch (left & right cross)
- Longtail cast on
You can also add this pattern to your queue on Ravelry here.
I hope you enjoyed this cable hat knitting pattern. Feel free to comment with your questions or success stories!
Hey, Norman! love the Celtic look of this avail pattern! I’m not entirely sure I understand the steps ‘After round 15’…I think you simply copied the instructions from the cowl for the hat as well based off what I see here: https://nimble-needles.com/patterns/cable-cowl-knitting-pattern-into-the-desert/
It also shows this similar discrepancy ‘After row 22’…I’m not that experienced & do not understand what/why this is necessary…
Thanks again for your expertise & pattern! I cannot wait to finish this hat for my husband who loves Celtic knots! I too am using baby camel wool from these folk in burnt copper color
Because the cables are offset by a couple of stitches and then the cable stitches would cross the border of the chart and you’d have to do cables between two needles- which would be just as confusing. You literally only need to knit 6 stitches as they appear.
if that sounds too complicated for you, maybe start with an easier cable project first?
Sadly, I’m unable to upload an image to show you what I mean. Your knitting pattern values do not match the pattern. I think it should be:
– “After round 29”
– “After round 43”
I’m confused as to why you “just knit across the first 6 stitches (k4, p2) and slip them back on the previous needle.” I do not think this is too complicated, like I said think the values do not match your new chart made for this hat. Thanks for your prompt response!
Hey Keisha, you are absolutely right. It should be after round 29 and 43. I have no clue why nobody ever messaged me. So many have finished this pattern already. ha! and I did it a couple of times as well. thank you for adding that.
Row 61 Stitch 20 should show p2tog tbl but depicts a purl stitch. Other than those minor edits this pattern is amazing! It was so much fun to create & looks so unique! Thank you for sharing!
you are absolutely right. fixed it!
I was hoping to be able to get a copy of this pattern but I am already subscribed to the group. So how can I get a copy of it now.? Please I would really like to try to make it.
I will update the pattern soon and add it to the pattern library on my patreon account.
Good day Norman, first I want to thank you for upping my skills. You are fantastic and patient beyond words.
I am doing the hat but switching to the cowl. I think the transition will be fine, I’m currently at row 29, they look similar.
Why I’m switching is it’ll be easy for this first attempt at “chart”, of which when you get it! It’s fantastic. (Your tutorial)
I am still confused with the green areas, I I thought I just continued the row 29, beginning: Sl2 to CN hold in back, p2, at end: p4 sl2 to cn hold in front p2. Can you confirm?
Because comments are saying different .
Thanks so much, much honour
Sarah
Some of the comments here are from older version of the chart.
No, you slip two, hold in back knit two, knit two from cable needle. There are no “dots” in the cable, thus it’s no purl cable cross.
Same applies to the end where you would do it exactly the other way round. At least if we are talking about row 29 of the cable hat chart and only the cable symbols.
Hello Norman,
Thanks for making this available, it looks like a wonderful pattern! I just had a doubt on the part after Round 61. In the instructions it says all rounds are charted, but the chart still shows only every alternate row (odd rows). Do you have to read the same row from left to right or do you still continue knitting it as it appears (like the earlier part of the pattern)?
Also after round 61 do you still do repeats or do you only do as many stitches as are depicted in the chart?
Thanks
Well for technical reasons, my charting software does not allow to change the row count mid-chart. Hence, the slightly off row counts.
You still do the repeats, yes.
Hello everyone! I’m currently knitting the “Into The Wild” hat and could use a bit of help. I’ve been following the pattern step by step, but I’ve reached a section that doesn’t quite make sense—it feels like a few instructions might be missing or maybe assumed knowledge that isn’t clearly stated. I’ve reread the section several times, compared it with similar patterns, and tried to troubleshoot on my own, but I’m still not confident I’m on the right track.
Specifically, it seems like there might be gaps in the shaping or stitch counts—it’s not aligning with the images or what I’d expect based on the gauge. I’ve double-checked my math, tension, and previous rounds, so I’m starting to wonder if this might be a known issue. I’ve searched online and checked the designer’s site for an errata or update but haven’t come across anything definitive yet.
Has anyone else encountered this problem while working on this hat? I’d love to hear if others ran into the same confusion and how they worked through it. If there has been an errata issued, could someone point me to where I can find it? I’d really appreciate any clarification or insights—you’d be helping me (and probably others!) get back on track with a pattern I was really excited about. Thanks in advance!
Well Rona, if you would clearly state the row and line you have issues with, I could potentially try to help you.
There are no true errata because I simply adjust the pattern whenever someone reports a typo.
Hi, I’d love to make this hat but I am having trouble finding the pattern. I checked Patreon (and joined as a supporter) and Etsy but no luck! I’d be happy to buy it! Thanks for any help.
This pattern is only available here on my blog. I didn’t post it on Etsy or patreon. If you send me a direct message on patreon, we can take a look at what went wrong.