Product Description
Whenever I’m up in the mountains snowboarding I find myself designing new knitwear. It’s only natural that the snow and cold weather makes me want to break out the wool and needles. This year, I was inspired by the gondola cables spinning above me as they took me up the mountain. These metal cables are transformed into knit cables along the band of this hat.
This hat is knit seamlessly starting with the cabled band, then the crown and ribbed brim are picked up and knit separately. The hat is knit in three directions, which allows for interesting color patterns to emerge with the self-striping Chroma yarn.
This hat is worked in the following order: cabled band first, then crown, then ribbed brim. Though I’ve written this pattern for only one size, it’s easily adapted to any size you need. Just knit the cabled band to the desired length, and adjust the number of stitches picked up at the crown and along the brim as needed. Make sure you are generous with the stitches pi
Gondola Cables Knit Hat by Laura Birek
What is Being Made
Gondola Cables is a seamless knit hat designed by Laura Birek, inspired by the metal cables of mountain gondolas. This one-size-fits-most women's hat features a distinctive cabled band around the lower portion, with a ribbed brim and knit crown. The finished hat measures 22 inches stretched at its widest circumference, making it suitable for average women's head sizes.
Design and Construction Techniques
This hat employs an innovative three-directional knitting construction method. The design begins with knitting the cabled band first, then the crown and ribbed brim are picked up and knit separately from the established band. This approach allows for interesting color patterns to naturally emerge throughout the garment. The seamless construction and multi-directional knitting technique creates visual interest while maintaining structural integrity.
Stitches and Cable Work
The defining feature of this hat is the cable stitch work along the band, which replicates the appearance of spinning gondola cables. The crown features ribbed knit stitches that provide elasticity and a classic finished appearance. The combination of cable stitches and ribbed sections creates both textural interest and functional stretch for a comfortable fit.
Materials and Tools
- Yarn: KnitPicks Chroma Worsted weight yarn (70% Wool, 30% Nylon; 198 yards/181 meters per 100g skein) in the Galapagos colorway; 1 skein required
- Needles: US #7/4.5mm double-point needles in a 5-needle set (preferred configuration for seamless knitting)
- Additional Tools: Tapestry needle for finishing
Skill Level
Gondola Cables is rated as an advanced knitting project. The combination of cable stitch work, seamless construction, three-directional knitting, and the need to pick up stitches requires solid knitting experience and comfort with intermediate to advanced techniques.
Yarn Characteristics
The self-striping Chroma worsted weight yarn is central to the design's visual appeal. The yarn's natural color variations create automatic striping patterns as the hat is knit in three different directions, eliminating the need for color changes while adding dynamic visual interest to the finished piece.
Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | Worsted |
| Designer: | Laura Birek |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
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