Climbing Vines Cap in Cascade 220 Superwash Merino - W737 - Downloadable PDF

Climbing Vines Cap in Cascade 220 Superwash Merino – Pattern Summary

The Climbing Vines Cap is a beautifully textured knitted hat designed by Frank Wilmot for Cascade Yarns. This downloadable PDF pattern produces a fitted cap featuring an elegant repeating vine-like cable and twist motif that winds its way up from a ribbed brim to the crown. Available as a free downloadable PDF, it is an excellent project for knitters looking to practice or refine their cable and twist techniques in a relatively compact, wearable design.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a knitted hat worked in the round, available in two sizes: Medium (18" circumference, 7" from crown to brim edge) and Large (20" circumference, 7¾" from crown to brim edge). The finished cap has a structured brim and a body covered in a repeating textured pattern that evokes climbing vines, making it a stylish accessory suitable for cooler weather. The design is worked in two coordinating colors, which work together to create the vine effect across the body of the hat.

Skill Level and Sizing

Despite being listed in the product attributes as a beginner project, the PDF itself designates this pattern as Intermediate / Expert level. Knitters should be comfortable working in the round on both circular needles and double-pointed needles, as well as executing cable and twist stitches. The two sizes offered — Medium and Large — accommodate a range of adult head sizes, with gauge adjustments achieved through needle size changes rather than stitch count alterations.

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round on circular needles, transitioning to double-pointed needles (DPNs) as stitches decrease toward the crown
• Two-color colorwork, using Color A and Color B together to create the climbing vine visual effect
• Cable knitting, including the use of a cable needle for select stitches
• Left Twist (LT) stitch, a key special technique in this pattern — worked by knitting through the back loop of the second stitch on the left needle without dropping it, then knitting the first stitch normally before dropping both stitches off the needle; in this pattern, the LT is always worked with Color A
• 1x1 left cable stitches, which contribute to the vine texture across the body
• Crown shaping and decreases using K2tog (knit two together) and SSK (slip, slip, knit) to shape the top of the hat
• Purl decreases using P2tog (purl two together) during brim setup
• Blocking the finished cap in the body pattern to achieve the correct gauge measurements

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) — the foundational stitch used throughout the body pattern
• Purl (P) — used in the brim ribbing and as part of the body pattern repeat
• Left Twist (LT) — the signature special stitch that creates the climbing vine appearance
• K2tog — a right-leaning decrease used in crown shaping
• SSK — a left-leaning decrease used in crown shaping
• P2tog — a purl decrease used during the brim setup round to bring the stitch count from 101 to 100
• Ribbing — the brim is worked in a P1, K2, P1 rib pattern, giving it elasticity and a neat finished edge

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino, a DK weight yarn made from 100% Superwash Merino Wool. Each skein contains 100 g (3.5 oz) / 220 yards (200 m). Two colors are required: