IceBerry Hat

Pattern by Judy Kaethler

The IceBerry Hat has a super-thick cabled

band to keep your ears warm. The band is
knit sideways, then turned 90-degrees
and the stitches are picked up along its
edge for the rest of the hat. No seaming
required! Instructions are included for
how to make this with an optional
opening at the back for a ponytail or
hairclip - so you don’t have to take your hair down in order to keep your head
toasty.

Finished Measurements:
Band is 3.5” wide, 21” circumference, 8.5” from brim to crown.

To fit: Woman’s medium.

Yarn requirements: 4oz (180 yards) Three Irish Girls Lindon Merino or other
aran weight yarn.

Needles: US 7 / 4.5mm or those required to obtain specified gauge. Dpns or

circulars for Magic Loop, depending on your preferred way to knit in the round.

Gauge: 17 stitches per 4” in stockinette stitch

Notions: Two 1” buttons, darning needle

Notes: With just a little simple cabling, this is a perfect pattern to learn and
practice cabling without a cable needle, if you don’t already know how to do it.
I’ve included instructions on how to do this technique at the end of the pattern.
Please give it a try – you won’t go back!

1 IceBerry Hat
Abbreviations:

BO2 – bind off 2 for buttonhole; k2, with these 2 knitted sts on the right-hand
needle, pass the right-most st over the left-most st, and off the needle. K1, then
again, with the 2 sts closest to the tip of the right-hand needle, pass the right one
over the left one and off the needle.
BOR – beginning of round
C4L – slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold to the front of work. K2 from the left
needle, then knit the 2 sts from the cable needle.
C4R - slip 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold to the back of work. K2 from the left
needle, then knit the 2 sts from the cable needle.
CO2 – cast on 2 sts using the backwards loop method
dpn(s) – double-pointed needle(s)
k2tog – knit 2 sts together
Kfb – knit into the front of the stitch, then into the back of the same stitch (1 st
increased)
m1L – increase 1 stitch by picking up the strand between the needles from the
front and knitting into the back of it
m1Lp – increase 1 stitch by picking up the strand between the needles from the
front and purling into the back of it
m1R – increase 1 stitch by picking up the strand between the needles from the
back and knitting into the front of it
m1Rp – increase 1 stitch by picking up the strand between the needles from the
back and purling into the front of it
P2tog – purl 2 together
ssk – slip slip knit: slip the first stitch as if to knit, slip the second stitch as if to knit,
insert the left needle through both sts from the left side and knit them together
st(s) – stitch(es)
rnd(s) – round(s)

2 IceBerry Hat
Instructions:
Cast on 10 sts.
Row 1 (WS): P1, kfb 8 times, p1. (18sts)
Row 2 (RS): K1, [C4R, C4L] twice, k1.
Row 3: Purl
Row 4: K1, m1L, k3, BO2, k5, BO2, k2, m1R, k1. (20 sts)
Row 5: P1, m1Rp, p4, CO2, p6, CO2, p4, m1Lp. (22 sts)
Row 6: K1, CO2 then slip these 2 sts to the left needle, C4R (with the 2 CO sts and
the next 2 sts) , [C4L, C4R] twice, CO2, k3. (26 sts)

The button tab shaping is now complete and we begin working the honeycomb
cable.
Row 1 (WS): Purl
Row 2 (RS): Knit
Row 3: Purl
Row 4: K1, [C4L, C4R] 3 times, k1.
Row 5: Purl
Row 6: Knit
Row 7: Purl
Row 8: K1, [C4R, C4L] 3 times, k1.

Repeat the above 8 rows until band measures 24” total, ending after a Row 4 or 8.
Next Row (WS): P1, [p2tog] to last st, p1. (14 sts)

With RS facing, Bind Off all sts, leaving last stitch on the needle. Rotate work so
that right side is facing and the active stitch is at the top right corner of your work.
At this point, decide which version of the hat you want to make (with or without
the optional opening) and proceed to the appropriate section below.

Note: The band is 24” long, which allows for 21” around the head and a 3” overlap for the
button tab. The opening for the head will actually be less than 21”, because the thickness of
the cabled band takes up some of the width.

3 IceBerry Hat
For Optional Ponytail Opening:
These instructions allow for a 3” gap, for a
standard hairclip – if you want the opening
bigger or smaller, simply adjust the
number of stitches picked up vs. cast on,
keeping the total stitchcount at 88.
Pick up 74 sts along 17.5” of the top of the
band. You’ll have 75 sts, including the
stitch you retained from the bind off.

Note: your numbers may be different if you

have a different rowgauge, but for me, this
worked out to picking up 2 sts every 3 rows
along the top of the band.

When picking up the sts, be sure to knit into the entire stitch at the top of the
band (both strands of yarn).

Cast on 13 sts using the backwards loop method. (88 sts total)
Place a BOR marker and join to work in the round.
First round: Knit 75, purl 13. (purling the sts over the gap on this first round will
prevent the opening from curling outwards)
Jump to “Continuing Hat”

For No Ponytail Opening:

Pick up 87 sts along 21” of the top of the band (88 sts, including the first loop).
When picking up the sts, be sure to knit into the entire stitch at the top of the
band (both strands of yarn).
Place a BOR marker and join to work in the round.

Continuing Hat:
Knit 15 rounds in stockinette stitch (knit every round) without shaping, then begin
to decrease for the crown as follows…
Round 1: [k9, k2tog] to end. (80 sts)
Round 2 (and every even-numbered rnd up to 12): Knit
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Round 3: [k8, k2tog] to end. (72 sts)
Round 5: [k7, k2tog] to end. (64 sts)
Round 7: [k6, k2tog] to end. (56 sts)
Round 9: [k5, k2tog] to end. (48 sts)
Round 11: [k4, k2tog] to end. (40 sts)
Round 13: [k3, k2tog] to end. (32 sts)
Round 14: [k2, k2tog] to end. (24 sts)
Round 15: [k1, k2tog] to end. (16 sts)
Round 16: [k2tog] to end. (8 sts)
Round 17: [k2tog] to end. (4 sts)
Break yarn, thread through remaining live sts, tug to cinch.

Finishing:
Sew buttons onto the hatband, aligned with the buttonholes.
Optionally, if you don’t care about being able to open the band (buttons will be
purely decorative), sew the band closed where it overlaps.
Weave in yarn ends, and enjoy your new hat!
Oh, and don’t forget to knit matching mittens.

5 IceBerry Hat
Now, let’s talk about cabling without a cable needle…

I know, everyone is afraid to try it – what if you drop a stitch, after all? Trust me, it
will be fine. Life-changing, even.

Here are the two cables you need for this pattern:

C4L – Slip 2 sts, knit next 2 sts. Place left-hand needle into the front of the 2
slipped sts, slide all 4 sts off the right-hand needle, move right-hand needle
behind the slipped sts and into the 2 knitted sts. 2 slipped sts are now on the left-
hand needle and the 2 knitted sts are on the right-hand needle. Knit 2 sts (the
ones that had been slipped, then passed back). Voila – you just cabled without a
cable needle!

C4R – With yarn forward, slip next 2 sts onto right-hand needle. Move yarn to
back of work and knit next 2 sts. Yarn forward, put left-hand needle into back of
slipped sts. Slide all 4 sts off right-hand needle, move right-hand needle to front
and into 2 knitted sts. Now 2 knitted sts are on the right-hand needle and 2
slipped sts are on left-hand needle. Knit 2 sts. Ta-da! Cable done, no cable needle.

Now, you try.

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