Note: if you find, after the first cable round, that your hat feels very tight around your head, I would recommend the following changes:

• rip back to the end of the ribbing and pfb once in every purl column to increase 8 stitches total.
• knit as normal until you are about to begin the crown, then p2tog the extra stitches away. knit crown to pattern.

Alternatively, you might be able to pfb the purl columns on each cable round and decrease them out the round immediately after. I wish I would have thought of this on my hat but I can’t be bothered to rip the whole thing out.

24/1/15: Rib on 3.5mm. Started body on 4.5mm but it was ridiculously head-huggy, so I ripped back to the ribbing and went up to 5mm. Seems bigger just on the needles, so we’ll see how it works.

25/1/15: I added a third twist and followed it with 2 plain rounds, then immediately started the crown. Changed crown to the following:

• k2tog, k to last 2 sts in cable, ssk, p2;
• k 2 rounds in pattern;
• repeat these 3 rounds until 32 sts remain;
• k2tog, p2tog around (16 sts remain)
• k2tog all the way around down to 8 sts;
• cut yarn, thread tail through the 8sts twice, pull snug, weave end.

It really needs to be blocked for width but I think it’s a pretty good length, and I’m hoping the yarn will grow widthwise a bit so it’s a wee bit less head-huggy.

5/2/15: Post-blocking. It turned out okay. The first cable is fairly snug around my head, and unfortunately the needles were just too big for this yarn, so it’s kind of breezey & holey. Definitely more of a spring or autumn hat than a winter hat. But the length is okay so I’m glad I changed that. Crown came out a wee bit pointy even after blocking, but not enough that anyone would notice while it’s on my head. If I did this pattern again, I would definitely go with a more substantial yarn, (Rios is pretty lofty and wasn’t the best choice), and up a needle size for the body to match the yarn. The brim is perfect, though.