Cabled Baby Hat to go with the Pembroke Baby Vest

I had extra yarn so I invented a hat to match the Pembroke Baby Vest. It turned out lovely and stretchy in the cotton, so I tried the same pattern (to test my written directions) in fuzzy handspun thick-and-thin alpaca. Very different look, much less definition of the cable twists, but still stretchy. I like them both. Hopefully the future owners will enjoy them and have toasty warm noggins.

PATTERN: Cabled Baby Hat

Light worsted (or thereabouts) yarn. Sorry, but I do not know specific yardage needed, but it is not much. The red yarn in the picture is "Cotton Supreme" by Universal Yarn Inc. The green is handspun alpaca at approx 11-12wpi.

Sized to fit an approx 14in head (0-6mos, so I hear)

Gauge: 10ss = 2" across cable pattern repeat on U.S. size 7 needles, but don't worry about it. Babies grow and the hat is likely to fit at some point (hopefully not mid-summer). I did not knit a gauge swatch and don't see why anyone else should have to either.

Needles: U.S. size 5 and 7 double points, plus a cable needle.
Also: safety pin to mark rows (optional, but very helpful)

Note: "*" on each end of a set of instructions means repeat these stitches until end of round.

Instructions:

Using smaller needles, cast on 70ss loosely using your stretchy cast-on of choice. (I used a long-tail cast-on.)
Join into round.
Rounds 1-8: *K1, P1*
Change to larger needles

Cable Pattern:
row 1 - *P2, K4, P2, K2*
row 2 - *P2, put 2 stitches on cable needle held to front, K2, K2 from cable needle, P2, K2*
rows 3 and 4 - same as row 1

Work 4-row Cable Pattern 5 times, ending with row 3. (Use the safety pin to mark the last stitch of each twist-stitch round (pattern row 2). This will make it easy to keep track of when the next twist-stitch round is due.)

Narrow for crown:
Round 1: *P2, K1, K2tog, K1, P2, K2*
Round 2: *P2, K2tog, K1, P2, K2*
Round 3: *P2, K2*
Round 4: *P1, K2tog, K, P2, K2*
Round 5: *P1, K1, SSK, P1, K2*
Round 6: *P1, K2tog*
Round 7: *K2tog*
Round 8: *K*
Round 9: *K2tog*
Pull yarn through remaining stitches and tighten.

Weave in ends. Give to baby.