Are you looking for a new knitting project? Why not try your hand at cable knitted hats patterns? Cable knitting is a bit more advanced than basic knitting, but it’s not too difficult to learn. I definitely recommend adding this skill to your knitting roster, because once you get the hang of it, you can create some truly stunning hats. I will warn you, though, that cable knitting can be a bit addictive once you develop the knack for it! 

A lot of these cable hat patterns would actually be an excellent choice for a first time cable knitting project. We always recommend learning new knitting skills by practicing on projects of a smaller scale, and hats definitely fit the bill! The patterns we have curated for you today have a wide range of difficulty levels – some are easy peasy and some are more intricate. So whether you’re a beginner or an experienced knitter, we hope you’ll find a hat pattern that you’ll love.

In today’s free knitting pattern roundup, we’ll show you some of our most favorite cable knitted hats patterns. There are a wide range of styles to choose from, so you are sure to find something that suits your fancy. We have some more classic style designs and some more unique and modern ones too. There are some hats that are completely covered in cables and others that use cablework as more of an accent. Some patterns use thinner weight yarn to achieve a more delicate result, while other designs turn up the texture with bulky yarn and chunky cablework. 

Without further ado, let’s dig into all of these wonderful cable knitted hats patterns. Prepare to be inspired! 

Ryegate Hat

Did you know that you can mimic the look of knit cablework without actually using a cable needle? The faux cables in this cute hat design are made with left and right twisted stitches. Columns of right twisted stitches are nestled right next to columns of left twisted stitches to create a neat braided look. 

Designer: A Fiber Collective
Yarn: Brown Sheep Prairie Spun DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Simple Braided Hat

Go crazy for cables with this Simple Braided Hat. The design combines two types of cables and the cablework covers every surface of the hat except for the folded, ribbed brim. The best part is that the pattern includes a helpful video demonstration along with the written instructions, so you can be sure to pick it up quickly. 

Designer: Loveapple Crafts
Yarn: Cascade Yarns ® 220 Superwash® Sport (Sport Weight #2)
Click here for the free cable knit hat pattern!

_____________________

Chunky Cabled Hat

Choosing cable knitted hats patterns that use bulky or super bulky weight yarn is a great way to bulk up the look of your cablework and make your projects go by more quickly too. In this Chunky Cabled Hat design, ridges of thick cables take turns with the more subtle shifts of texture between knit and purl stitches to create a stunning sea of texture. 

Designer: Shannon Dunbabin for Cascade Yarns
Yarn: Cascade Yarns ® Pacific® Chunky (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Convolution Hat

I’ve never seen cablework quite like this before! Instead of having your stitches cross over one another, this design sets the stitches out in a spiraling pattern to create a unique look. My favorite part is the smooth transition between the ribbed brim and the spiral crown. It is recommended to knit very tightly to create an extra dense and warm hat.

Designer: Sarah Dawn for Knotions
Yarn: Cascade Yarns ® 220 Superwash (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Wheat Cable Beanie

There are so many different cable stitches out there but you don’t have to narrow it down to just one. The Wheat Cable Beanie uses 5 different cable stitches to create tons of texture and interest. You can be sure that you won’t get bored while knitting this unique and interesting design! 

Designer: Marcie Marra
Yarn: (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Toukulele

Here’s a neat idea for cable knitted hats patterns. This design uses cables to create the shape of a ukulele or a guitar on the side of the hat. What a great gift idea for someone you know who is obsessed with their instrument! I wonder what other shapes you could create using cables? 

Designer: Angela Acito for Knitty
Yarn: Fleece & Harmony Signature (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Cable Rib Hat

Wide 5 strand cables blend into the background of the Cable Rib Hit for a more subdued look. Complete with the simple and short 2×1 ribbed and folded brim, it is a really classic hat design. It would be a great choice for an everyday sort of hat and it is sure to appeal to a wide variety of fashion sensibilities. 

Designer: Premier Yarns Design Team
Yarn: Premier Yarns Rustic (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free classic cable knit hat pattern!

_____________________

Bulky Yarn Cable Hat

Traditional braided cables may look out of place on a man’s hat. For an alternative cable layout, look no further than the Bulky Yarn Cable Hat. It uses a geometric cable design for a unique look. The hat is knit from the brim up and then gathered rather than shaped at the crown.  

Designer: Crazy Hands
Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Wool Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Salted Pretzel Hat

This hat is making me hungry! The Salted Pretzel Hat twists together thick columns of cable stitches on a textured background of seed stitches. Just by looking at it, you can tell that it would be a very fun project to knit! I think the design style would appeal equally to both men and women. 

Designer: Marci Marra
Yarn: (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Camp Fire Hat

The Camp Fire Hat is here to add a dash of symbolism to our cable knitted hats patterns. Stunning double diamond cables are made to resemble stacked cords of wood and the vertical ridges of twisted cable stitches are said to represent trails of smoke rising up to the sky. 

Designer: Katie Ladd
Yarn: Cascade Yarns ® Cascade 128 Tweed (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

V Formation Chunky Hat

Sometimes cable knitted hats patterns can be a bit stiff and not so stretchy. This is why you will see that a lot of cabled hats stand up rather than lie flat on the head. This bulky weight version defies all odds and manages to get a nice drape and slouch going, especially with the added length on the crown. 

Designer: Darn Knit Anyway
Yarn: Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Great (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free slouchy beanie knitting pattern!

_____________________

The Winterland Hat

The Winterland Hat design transitions smoothly from brim to crown. Sections of knit stitches take turns with sections of purl stitches for a wide ribbed look. 2 and 4 stitch cables are thrown in here and there to break up the vertical lines and add a little something to make the hat special. 

Designer: Coffee Tea Knits
Yarn: Lion Brand Scarfie (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Electric Blue Hat

If you ever want to know how to knit a hat and make it extra cozy, the answer is by making a double brim. A double brim reinforces the most important part of the hat and makes your ears and forehead twice as warm. Try it out and add some 5 and 6 stitch cables into the mix with this bold Electric Blue Hat. 

Designer: Erika Nemec
Yarn: Laines du Nord Dolly Maxi (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Basic Cable Knit Beanie

Many cable knitted hats patterns use both right and left leaning cables to mimic the look of braids. This Basic Cable Knit Beanie uses only 6 stitch left cables. It gives the cablework a unique twisted look that resembles roman columns or peppermint sticks. 

Designer: Okie Girl Bling’n’things
Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Tweed (Worsted Weight Yarn #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Chunky Cabled Hat

I think the reason that a lot of cabled hats skip the brim is that it’d be a shame to cover up any part of those stunning cables! The Chunky Cabled Hat skips the brim, but it also incorporates a bit of wide ribbing alongside the bulky and beautiful cables so that the hat still has a good amount of stretch. 

Designer: The Yarn Club
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Noventa (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Peanut Butter Hat

Working with fuzzy yarn can be a bit of a challenge but it adds so much softness that it’s worth the trouble. Pair a fuzzy yarn with a non-fuzzy yarn to avoid half the hassle and still get all the cozy benefits. Try it out with the Peanut Butter Hat. It’s knit with a lace weight and a DK weight yarn. The pattern calls for 4 stitch cables.

Designer: DROPS Design
Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Kid-Silk (Lace Weight #0) and Garnstudio DROPS Puna (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Saltgrass

The Saltgrass hat is simply stunning! You will definitely need to click through to get a closer look at this hat design so you can really appreciate all the little details. The ribbing starts at the brim and continues throughout the hat where delicate cablework creates spikelet-like stitches for added texture. 

Designer: Loom + Spindle
Yarn: Amano Yarns Puna Traceable (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Braid Me Knot

Here’s another one of our cable knitted hats patterns that’s knit with 2 strands and it sure does look cozy. The Braid Me Knot hat features thick and squishy columns of 6 stitch cables that interlock with each other to create one solid sea of cables. 

Designer: DROPS Design
Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Kid-Silk (Lace Weight #0) and Garnstudio DROPS Merino Extra Fine (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Portland Cap

Keep it classic with The Portland Hat. It’s the perfect handmade accessory to add to your wardrobe because it meshes effortlessly with so many different styles. The simple 2×2 rib hat design is punctuated by a single round of cablework in the middle for a bit of panache. 

Designer: Mary Pranica for Blue Sky Fibers
Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Tweed (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

The Berkshires Beanie

Turn up the texture of your cable knitted hats patterns with super bulky weight yarn. The thick strands of yarn effortlessly add dimension to hat designs. The Berkshires Beanie uses a combination of left and right twisted stitches to mimic the look of cablework without the need for a cable needle. 

Designer: Melburnian Kim Knits
Yarn: Lion Brand Hometown (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Glendon Cable Hat

Admittedly, there are quite a few more cabled hat designs out there for women, but there are a few gems for men. The Glendon Cable Hat uses a combination of 2 and 4 stitch cables along with slip slip knits, knit 2 togethers, and purl 2 togethers. You’ll even have enough yarn left in the skein when you’re done to make a big fluffy pom pom to go on top. 

Designer: Yarnspirations Design Studio
Yarn: Patons North America Classic Wool Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Midvale Hat

Stockinette stitch tends to steal the show but there’s definitely room in all of these cable knitted hats patterns for some garter stitch action. The Midvale Hat pairs the easy, squishy stitch with 4 stitch left leaning cables for a unique look that’s sure to impress. 

Designer: Kate Gagnon Osborn
Yarn: Kelbourne Woolens Germantown Bulky (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

The Randall Hat

Lines of cables slant inwards and outwards in this argyle-inspired design. The DK weight yarn keeps this hat nice and light, so it’s a great choice if it doesn’t get super cold where you live. As an added bonus, the thinner yarn also improves the drape of the hat so you get a nice slouch. 

Designer: Disyarning Designs
Yarn: Emily C Gillies NSW Tweed (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Modern Cable Hat

Here’s one of our cable knitted hats patterns that would be a great first cablework project for the adventurous beginner knitter. The pattern uses only one type of cablework (3 stitch cables) so you will get lots of practice with it. By the time you are done knitting the hat, you will be a cable knitting pro! 

Designer: Paintbox Yarns
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Cables and Moss

The Cables and Moss hat design turns the common cable hat design upside down. The cablework shows up on the brim of the hat instead of the crown and it is very delicate rather than big and bulky. Smaller cables are created through the use of twisted stitches. The textured crown is made with moss stitch.

Designer: Kathryn McConaghie
Yarn: Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd’s Wool Worsted (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!

_____________________

Full Video Tutorial for Beginning Cable Knitters:

Easy Cable Knit Hat for First Time Cable Knitters

Common Questions about Knitting Cable Hats

Final Thoughts on Our Cable Knit Hat Patterns

I know it’s tough, but you can’t put it off any longer. You’re just going to have to decide which of these hat knitting patterns is your favorite! Customize your cozy hat with color choice, yarn or faux fur pom pom, leather tags or other embellishments!

Don’t forget, sharing is caring! Send this free knitting pattern round-up to all your knitting friends so they can join in on the fun too! Bookmark this page or save the link to your Pinterest board for amazing knitting patterns. 

I’ll see you next week for another free knitting pattern round-up. Make sure to follow the blog so you never miss a post. <3

Happy Knitting!
Amanda