purlJam

# Cabled Beanie with Pompom

*A cosy, seamless cabled hat worked in the round — five bold cable panels framed by reverse stocking stitch, finished with a generous pompom. A satisfying intermediate make that uses all of one 100g skein.*

---

## Sizing

One size — Adult (S/M).
- **Finished circumference (relaxed):** 50 cm (19¾ in), designed with negative ease to stretch to fit ~52–58 cm head circumference.
- **Finished length (excluding pompom):** approx. 22 cm (8¾ in).

---

## Materials

- **Yarn:** 100g fingering / DK-fingering weight yarn (approx. 380–400m). One full skein.
- **Needles:**
  - 3.25mm (UK 10 / US 3) circular needle, 40 cm length, **and/or** double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the crown.
  - 3.0mm (UK 11 / US 2/3) circular needle, 40 cm, for the brim ribbing.
- **Notions:** Cable needle (cn), stitch marker, tapestry/darning needle, pompom maker (or two cardboard rings) approx. 7–8 cm.

---

## Tension (Gauge)

- **28 sts and 36 rounds = 10 cm (4 in)** over stocking stitch on 3.25mm needles, worked in the round, after blocking.
- Cable panel (16 sts) measures approx. 5 cm wide unstretched.

*Always work a tension swatch. Tension matters for fit.*

---

## Abbreviations (UK)

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **k2tog** – knit two together (right-leaning decrease)
- **p2tog** – purl two together
- **ssk** – slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
- **C8B** – slip 4 sts to cn, hold at **back**, k4, then k4 from cn
- **C8F** – slip 4 sts to cn, hold at **front**, k4, then k4 from cn
- **rep** – repeat
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **pm** – place marker
- **rnd(s)** – round(s)

---

## Construction Notes

The hat is worked seamlessly bottom-up: a stretchy ribbed brim, a cabled body of **5 cable panels** (each 16 sts) separated by **12-st reverse stocking stitch** troughs, and a shaped crown that carries the cable lines inward until gathered closed. A pompom finishes the top.

**Stitch maths:**
- 1 repeat = 16-st cable + 12-st reverse st st = **28 sts**
- 5 repeats = **140 sts** ✓
- Check: 140 sts ÷ 28 sts per 10 cm = **50 cm circumference** ✓

---

## Brim

With **3.0mm** needle, cast on **140 sts** using a stretchy long-tail cast-on. Pm and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

**Ribbing rnd:** *k2, p2; rep from * to end.
Repeat this round until brim measures **5 cm (2 in)**.

*Check: 140 ÷ 4 = 35 full k2/p2 repeats ✓.*

---

## Body — Establishing the Cable Pattern

Change to **3.25mm** needle.

Each 28-st repeat is worked as:
**[ p2, k16 (cable panel), p2, k-trough... ]** — see clear sequence below.

For each repeat, work: **p6, k16, p6** is not used; instead the structure is **p6 trough split evenly around each cable** as follows for clean framing:

**Repeat sequence (28 sts):** p6, k16, p6 — *no*. Use this exact, verified layout:

**One repeat = p6 + k16 cable = 22? ✗.** Use the corrected verified layout below.

### Verified Repeat Layout
- Reverse st st trough: **12 sts** → split as **6 sts each side** of the cable for symmetry.
- Cable panel: **16 sts**.
- 6 + 16 + 6 = **28 sts** ✓ × 5 = **140 sts** ✓.

So each repeat reads: **p6, [16-st cable], p6** — but to avoid doubling the trough between panels, place the full 12-st trough between cables and begin/end correctly:

**Set-up of the round:** *p6, k16, p6; rep from * → the p6 at the end of one repeat sits beside the p6 at the start of the next = a 12-st trough between cables. ✓

### Cable Body Rounds

**Rnds 1–7:** *p6, k16, p6; rep from * to end.
**Rnd 8 (cable rnd):** *p6, C8B, C8F, p6; rep from * to end.
**Rnds 9–15:** *p6, k16, p6; rep from * to end.
**Rnd 16 (cable rnd):** *p6, C8B, C8F, p6; rep from * to end.

Repeat **Rnds 1–8** (an 8-round cable repeat) until body measures approx. **15 cm (6 in)** from cast-on, ending after a Rnd 7 (i.e. ready to begin crown). Aim to finish having just worked a full plain section so the crown begins cleanly.

*Tip: each cable is C8B followed by C8F, producing a hourglass/horseshoe cable across the 16-st panel.*

---

## Cable Chart (16-st panel, read every round right-to-left)

```
Rnd  16  ⟨ C8B ⟩⟨ C8F ⟩
Rnd 15-9  k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k
Rnd   8  ⟨ C8B ⟩⟨ C8F ⟩
Rnd  7-1  k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k

Key:
k        = knit
⟨ C8B ⟩  = sl 4 to cn, hold at back, k4, k4 from cn
⟨ C8F ⟩  = sl 4 to cn, hold at front, k4, k4 from cn
(troughs of p6 each side worked in purl every round)
```

---

## Crown Shaping

The 12-st troughs decrease away first, then the cables are reduced. Switch to DPNs when needed.

Begin crown immediately after a plain round.

**Rnd 1:** *p2tog, p2, p2tog, k16, [continue]…* — verified per-repeat decreasing as follows (decrease 4 trough sts per repeat):
*p2tog, p2, p2tog, k16; rep from * to end.
→ each repeat: 6+16+6=28 becomes 4+16+4 = 24 sts. Count: 24 × 5 = **120 sts**. ✓

**Rnds 2–3:** *p4, k16; rep from * to end.

**Rnd 4:** *p2tog, p2tog, k16; rep from * to end.
→ each repeat 4+16=20 sts. Count: 20 × 5 = **100 sts** ✓.

**Rnds 5–6:** *p2, k16; rep from * to end.

**Rnd 7:** *p2tog, ssk, k12, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ each repeat: p2tog(1) + 16-st panel reduced (ssk + k12 + k2tog = 14) = 15 sts. Count: 15 × 5 = **75 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 8:** *p1, k14; rep from * to end.

**Rnd 9:** *p1, ssk, k10, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ each repeat: 1 + 13 = 13 sts. Count: 13 × 5 = **65 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 10:** *p1, ssk, k8, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ 1 + 11 = 11 sts × 5 = **55 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 11:** *p1, ssk, k6, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ 1 + 9 = 9 sts × 5 = **45 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 12:** *p1, ssk, k4, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ 1 + 7 = 7 sts × 5 = **35 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 13:** *p1, ssk, k2, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ 1 + 5 = 5 sts × 5 = **25 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 14:** *p1, ssk, k2tog; rep from * to end.
→ 1 + 3 = wait: ssk + k2tog on 4 sts = 2 sts, plus p1 = 3 sts × 5 = **15 sts** ✓.

**Rnd 15:** *k2tog; rep from * to last st, k1.
→ 15 sts → **8 sts** ✓ (7 k2tog + 1).

---

## Finishing

Cut yarn leaving a **20 cm tail**. Thread through remaining **8 sts**, draw up tightly to close the crown, and fasten off securely on the inside. Weave in all ends.

**Block:** Gently wet-block over a 24 cm plate or balloon to even out cables and open the stitches.

---

## Pompom

Using your reserved yarn (~10g) and a 7–8 cm pompom maker:
1. Wind yarn generously around both halves of the maker until full.
2. Cut around the outer edge.
3. Tie a length of yarn very tightly around the centre, leaving long tails.
4. Release, fluff, and trim to a neat sphere approx. 7 cm diameter.
5. Use the tails to sew the pompom firmly to the crown centre. Weave in.

---

## Yarn Budget Check

- Brim + body + crown: approx. **88–90g**
- Pompom: approx. **8–10g**
- **Total: ~100g** ✓ — uses your full skein with a small safety margin.

*If you are running low, work the body 1–2 cm shorter before beginning the crown, or make a slightly smaller pompom.*

---

Enjoy your new beanie! 🧶