While not a universal truth, it is common for the male recipients of knitted hats (and perhaps some male knitters themselves) to like things relatively … basic. Utilitarian pieces that will serve their purposes well but tend to be fairly boring to knit. This hat is my compromise. It isn’t too fancy, nor is it pedestrian.

The cable isn’t really a cable, but a trick with crossing doubled stitches. You can get away with a beautiful variegated yarn if you stick with darker colors in the same color family, or you can chose a solid and it will still be ruggedly handsome. And towards the top, when the stitch count dwindles, it gets a bit - dare I say it? Fiddly, a manly hat with fiddly bits, it might be the best of both worlds.