Chill in the Air Cap in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool - 90443AD

Chill in the Air Cap – Free Knitting Pattern in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool (Pattern 90443AD)

The Chill in the Air Cap is a free knitting pattern from Lion Brand Yarn, pattern number 90443AD, designed to keep you warm and stylish when temperatures drop. This cozy cabled hat is knitted flat and seamed, featuring a classic combination of ribbing and cable twists that give it both structure and visual interest. With a finished circumference of approximately 19 inches (48.5 cm), the hat is designed to stretch comfortably across a range of head sizes, making it a versatile one-size project.

Skill Level and Who This Pattern Is For

This pattern is rated Easy+, making it an excellent next step for knitters who have mastered basic knit and purl stitches and are ready to try their first cable work. The cable technique used here is straightforward and repetitive, so even those new to cable needles will find it approachable with a little patience. It is a great confidence-building project for adventurous beginners and a satisfying quick knit for intermediate crafters.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a cabled knit hat worked in a single size. The body of the hat is built from a repeating cable panel set against a ribbed background, creating a textured, visually appealing fabric with excellent stretch and warmth. The hat includes a crown shaping section to close the top, and the pattern notes allow knitters to easily customize the length by repeating additional cable rows before beginning the crown decreases.

Techniques Used

• Casting on – The hat begins with a cast-on of 84 stitches using two strands of yarn held together.
• Ribbing – The first several rows establish a K2, P2 ribbing pattern, which creates a stretchy, neat fabric at the base of the hat.
• Cable knitting – The signature technique of this pattern involves slipping stitches to a cable needle and holding them in back of the work, then working stitches in a specific order to create a twisted cable effect. This cable row is repeated throughout the body of the hat on a set interval.
• Crown shaping – Decreases are worked to shape and close the top of the hat.
• Double-stranding – A key construction note is that the hat is knitted with two strands of yarn held together throughout. Knitters are instructed to wind the single skein into two balls before beginning, then work both strands simultaneously. This technique creates a denser, warmer, and more substantial fabric.
• Seaming – Because the hat is knitted flat rather than in the round, a seam is worked to join the edges and form the hat shape.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K) – The fundamental building block of the pattern, used throughout ribbing, cable panels, and crown shaping.
• Purl stitch (P) – Used in alternation with knit stitches to create the ribbed sections and to frame the cable panels.
• K2, P2 ribbing – A classic two-by-two rib that provides stretch and a tidy, structured appearance.
• Cable cross stitch – Worked by slipping stitches to a cable needle, holding in back, knitting from the main needle, then returning and working the held stitches. This creates the characteristic twisted rope or braid appearance of cable knitting.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 1 ball of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in colorway Natural (150-098). Because the pattern calls for two strands held together throughout, the single ball is wound into two separate balls before knitting begins.
• Knitting Needles: Lion Brand Knitting Needles, Size 9 (5.5 mm)
• Cable Needles: Lion Brand Cable Needles (Set of 2) – used to hold stitches temporarily during cable crossings.
• Finishing Needles: Large-Eye Blunt Needles (