Sweet Nothings Crochet: FAUX CABLE BEANIE

Faux Cable Beanie - a free crochet pattern from Sweet Nothings Crochet

Thanks for joining me for this free crochet pattern. Let’s make a faux cable beanie.

I have made this beanie in three sizes - new born to 6 months, Teen beanie & Adult beanie

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Materials used : Today I’ve used ~ 50 gms MAKR DK-ply acrylic with a 4.5 mm crochet hook ; embroidery needle ; fabric glue to seal ends ; crochet stitch markers

For Indians : The yarn I’ve used is about 1.25 - 1.5 strands of our Vardhaman / as well as Oswal acrylic yarns or Laura knitting cotton.

You could use Anchor , Red rose , 4-ply knitting cotton , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns ; Baby soft acrylic yarn , Ganga Spectrum as well

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size. Using chunky yarn just means that the project zooms ahead that much faster. So if you want a thicker yarn, just use a few strands together.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky.

but I think you could also use Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn

Difficulty level : Advanced

Size made : Adult beanie : 22" x 8.25"

Size only given for yarn estimation.

Stitches used :

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

Crab Stitch or Reverse Single Crochet stitch : https://youtu.be/cG3crwyHPnk

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);

[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

Here is a sizing chart for general head sizing :

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279839058772/ OR

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837764548/

Abbreviations used :

sc : single crochet hdc : Half Double crochet

ch : chain ch-sp : chain space

sp : space rep : Repeat

hk : hook lp (s) : loop(s)

yo : yarn over sl-st : slip stitch

Instructions using U.S terminology

Please note that I start all my rounds with a ch 1 turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for video tutorials of all the stitches used in today’s pattern.

Please note that I take a lot of trouble to give loads of tips through my pattern sheet, so please read through the full sheet before you pick up your hook n yarn.

What is a slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

Magic circle : https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Half Double Crochet : Hdc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;

yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg

Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8

What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY

For today's pattern, we work a mock or faux cable that looks complicated but just requires a little patience & a little calculation.

The stitch count for our pattern today is in multiples of 7 so we will need to tweak some of our rounds wth a partial increase or a slightly different increase

Start Round 1 : with a magic circle and work 12 hdc in it.

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (12 sts)

Round 2 : Increase round

2 hdc in the 1st st & in each st all around.

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (24 sts)

Round 3 : Increase round

2 hdc in the 1st st ; hdc in the next st ;

(2 hdc in the next st ; hdc in the next st) ;

rep (to) all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (36 sts)

Round 4 : Increase round

2 hdc in the 1st st ; hdc in the next 2 sts ;

(2 hdc in the next st ; hdc in the next 2 sts) ;

rep (to) till the last st ;

2 hdc in the last st.

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (49 sts)

At this point, the diameter of my circle is 4.75"

Stop increases here to make a beanie of , which is right for a new born - 6 months

It will be a wee bit loose for a new born, just right for 3 - 6m

Go straight to Pattern Round 1

Please check the top of this blog for a head measurement chart and /or the bottom of this blog for circumference calculations.

Round 5 : 2 hdc in the 1st st ; hdc in the next 5 sts ;

(2 hdc in the next st ; hdc in the next 5 sts) ;

rep (to) 5 times ;

hdc in the last 7 sts till end ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (56 sts)

At this point, the diameter of my circle is 5.5"

Stop increases here to make a beanie of , which is right for Teen beanie

Round 6 : 2 hdc in the 1st st ; hdc in the next 5 sts ;

(2 hdc in the next st ; hdc in the next 5 sts) ;

rep (to) 6 times ;

hdc in each of the last 7 sts till end ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (63 sts)

At this point, the diameter of my circle is 6"

Stop increases here to make a beanie of , which is right for Adult beanie

As we may be at different rounds for the beanie, I am going to renumber the rounds starting with Pattern Round 1

Using this chart that I found on the net, I'm going to adapt it for our beanie

Pattern Round 1 : sc in the 1st st ;

*(ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next st) ;

rep (to) 2 times / or twice ;

ch 12, sc in the next st* ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (7 / 9 / 9 ch-sps)

In the following rounds, you will keep your ch-12 sp in front of your work, and work in the st (sc) behind it

Pattern Round 2 : sc in the 1st st ;

*sc in the next ch-1 sp ;

ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next ch-sp ;

rep (to) once ;

{fold ch-12 sp in front of work & work into the sc at the base }, sc in the next 2 sc* ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (7 / 9 / 9 ch-sps)

Pattern Round 3 : sc in the 1st st ;

*(ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next ch-sp) ;

rep (to) once ;

[ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next sc] ;

{fold ch-12 sp in front of work & work into the sc at the base }, sc in the next sc * ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (7 / 9 / 9 ch-sps)

Pattern Round 4 : Rep Pattern Round 2

and this is what makes this an Advanced level pattern - looping and working the sc behind the loops.

In the following round we will work the next round of ch-12 sps, and at the same time, we will loop up / tie up the earlier ch-12 sp.

So finally the 1st set of ch-12 loops stay flat against your work, and you reach under the loop to get the 2 sc in the centre.

So with the 1st sc you will work the next set of ch-12 and with the 2nd sc you will lock the 1st ch-12 loop in.

Once you get this going, the rest is all repeat and easier

reach under loop to get the 2 sc in centre

Pattern Round 5 : Looping the ch-12 round :

sc in the 1st st ;

*(ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next ch-sp) ;

rep (to) once ;

{keep the ch-12 sp against your work & work into the sc with the ch-12

behind the sc },

[ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next sc] ;

rep {to} , ch 12, sc in the next sc * ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (7 / 9 / 9 ch-sps)

and that's our pattern done !

Rep Rounds 2 - 5 till you get the length you need for your beanie from Crown to Brim, ending with Round 4

In the Last Pattern Round 5A, we work the same pattern (as Round 5), but we will not work the ch-12. We will just lock the last ch-12, without starting a new one. Got it?

Last Pattern Round 5A : Locking in the ch-12 :

sc in the 1st st ;

*(ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next ch-sp) ;

rep (to) once ;

{keep the ch-12 sp against your work & work into the sc with the ch-12

behind the sc },

[ch 1, sk next st, sc in the next sc] ;

rep {to} , sc in the next sc * ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (7 / 9 / 9 ch-sps)

Last Round : sc or hdc in each st and ch-sp all around.

(49 / 56 / 63 sts)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Circumference calculations

Here's a great way to check circumference

To check, you are either going to wear the beanie, or check with the head size chart given at the top of this blog.

Remember that yarn stretches - so if it's a bit snug, it's good

1. Hat circumference = measure around the head just above ears and subtract one inch for a nicely fitted finished hat.

2. Crown width = (this is a flat circular top of the hat) you need to divide hat circumference by 3.14 (pi).

3. Hat height = Head circumference / 10 x 4.

So you need to measure circumference of the head (round head measurement) and keep checking the outer circumference of your work.

There is another trick for measuring circumference (without running your measure tape all around the edge of your circle as you are working).

This works for a cap that you are working top down, from the crown of the head.

It works by dividing your round head measure by pi (3.14).

So say your head measurement is 22, divide 22 by 3.14 = 7.

Remember when calculating diameter, you must account for the stretch of your yarn too.

So once the ‘flat portion’ for the crown (or the first few rounds while you are still increasing) of your cap is 7” diameter, you can stop increases and start increasing just the length (without increasing stitches for the round)

Three different sizes of beanie plus matching cowl

As I told you at the start, this project has a matching cowl here

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Here are some of my other creations.

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2021/12/faux-cable-beanie.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2021/08/easy-reversible-cowl.html