Sugar Twist Knit Hat

By: Tina Melvin for Life in the Round

This sugar twist hat is named for its close resemblance to sugary cotton candy! This free knitting pattern is the sweetest way to cozy up this winter. Make gifts for your friends or simply sport it yourself.

Materials:

Malabrigo Gruesa (100% Wool; 3.5 oz; 65 yds)
- #100 Rosa Viejo, 2 skeins (if you make a smaller version you could get away with 1 skein)
Needles: 1 set US 10 (6.0mm) dpns & one 16 in. circular needle
Cable needle
Stitch markers,
Tapestry needle

Gauge:
10 sts & 18 rows = 4 in. in reverse stockinette st (that's where the right side of the work is the purl side, just in case ;)

Size: this fits 21 in. head nice and snug; any adjustments to the stitch count will alter the look of the cable, but if you do need to add or subtract stitches, I would do that evenly throughout the purl sections.

Note: Pattern edited to make the hat longer. If you have short/thin hair, go with the fewer rows. If you have long/thick hair, definitely add the extra rows.

Instructions:

CO 60 sts.

Place marker(pm) and join yarn (and yes, be careful not to twist), then K2, p2 across all sts. Repeat for 4 rows total.

Row 1: P10, pm, K10, pm; repeat to end of row

Row 2: P10, slip marker (sm), K10, sm; repeat to end of row

Repeat Row 2 eight/ten more times.

Cable Row: *P10, slip 5 st to cable needle(cn), hold in front of work, K5 sts, K5 sts from cn; repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat Row 2 for ten rows.

Decrease Rows:

Row 1: P8, P2tog, sm, K8, SSK, sm; repeat to end of row.

Row 2: P9, sm, K9, sm; repeat to end of row.

Row 3: P7, P2tog, sm, K7, SSK, sm; repeat to end of row.