I saw this pattern on Knitting Daily and I loved that the cables sat on a field of knit rather than purl stitches.

My gauge swatch on the size 7 needles was 25% too big.

My gauge swatch was way too big, so I dropped a needle. I calculated that the gauge on the size 6 should give me +10% more than pattern gauge, which should accommodate my noggin. I may have forced the gauge with small needles on a thick yarn, so the fabric is dense and maybe a little stiff, but the stitch definition is fab and I love the pattern.

I switched between the long tail cast on and the twisted German cast on for the ribbing.

I like the circular/ sideways cables, though they are bending my brain (not to do, but I cannot imagine how to make them up).

It took exactly the amount of yarn I had left over from my mittens project, the last few rows were nerve wracking as I contemplated what I might have that could substitute into the center of the hat when the skein ran out. But I made it!

Learnings

• Eliminating a repeat might have been a better alternative to getting the right size with a bigger yarn. Yet I love the cabling.
• Cables are a great place to hide decreases

It doesn’t fit as closely as I’d like, so I’m adding an interior polar fleece lining to make it warmer and snugger. Thanks, Techknitter for the idea!