Cabled Ponytail Hat

It's been a long time. I have since defended my thesis and am now a doctor :) So knitting time has increased.

The following is a hat for me and is the merge of two different patterns, and my second attempt, to make a pony-tail hat (Hannah hat) with a little bit of flair (Sarah's cabled hat), both of which are available as ravelry's downloads. I got permission from both of them to publish in my blog so here is what I did.

Cabled Ponytail Hat
-US 7 straight needles (14" +)
-US 7 DPNs
-size is med/large? I wanted it stretchy, to see the cables, without it being overstretched, that would give me a headache. I normally wear medium knit hats...and I hate gauging, especially with cables
-Cascade 220 Superwash Paints (worsted weight)
-C6F = place 3 stitches on cable needle to the front, K3 from the left needle, then K3 from cable needle
-C4F = same as above only with 2 on the cable needle, K2 from the left, then K2 from the cable
-C2F = same
-k2tog = knit 2 st together
-p2tog = purl 2 st together

CO 148 (do not join)

Flap with 3 button holes:
R1-R4: (k2, p2) until the end (2x2 ribbing--works really well to flow with the cables)
R5 (button hole row): (k2, p2) until last 5 stitches, p1, slip previous st over st just p, k1, slip previous st over st just k, k1, p2.
R6: k2, p2, cast on 2 st over gap, p2, (k2, p2) until end
R7-10 (and R13-16, R19-21): repeat R1-R4
R11, 12 (and 17, 18): repeat R5, 6

You can stop it at row 15 if you like for 2 button hole rows if you have a smaller head than me and decrease the CO to 132 st (stitch count of 16 repeated for the cable pattern in 12 rows).

Brim (can just bind off, and start cabling pattern immediately, but at the time I wanted to sort of separate this for this hat--didn't really come out the way I wanted so I would skip this)
R22: BO first 20 st, then p across R22
R23: p across

Body of the hat (cabling; this 16 st repeat has alternating cabling twists that flow from the 2x2 ribbing)
R24 (1st cable row): (C6F, p2, k2, p2, k2, p2) repeat until end
next 5 rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
R30 (2nd cable row): (k6, p2, C6F, p2) repeat until end
next 5 rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
R36: (C6F, p2, k6, p2) repeat until end
next 5 rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
repeat R30-36 for the length you want before you start your decreases. Start on a cabling row.

Decreasing on even rows (decrease by 1 stitch per repeat following cabling pattern)
R42 (like R30): (k2, k2tog, k2, p2, C6F, p2) repeat until end
all odd rows: knit the knits and purl the purls
R44: (k1, k2tog, k2, p2, k6, p2) repeat until end
R46: (k4, p2tog, k6, p2) repeat until end
I joined onto DPNs at R48. This depends on how high you want to wear your ponytail and I wear mine pretty high. You can join when you start decreasing if you wear a lower ponytail.
R48 (join, like R36): (C4F, p1, k2, k2tog, k2, p2) repeat until end
R50: (k4, p1, k1, k2tog, p2) repeat until end
R52: (k4, p1, k4, p2tog) repeat until end
R54: (k1, k2tog, k1, p1, C4F, p1) repeat until end

Decreasing every row (crown)
R55: (k2tog, k1, p1, k4, p1) repeat until end
R56: (C2F, k2tog, k3, p1) repeat until end
R57: (k3, k2tog, k1, p1) repeat until end
R58: (k2, k2tog, k1, p1) repeat until end
R59: (k3, k2tog) repeat until end
R60: (k2tog, C2F) repeat until end
R61: (k2tog, k1) repeat until end
R62: (k2tog) repeat until end

Finishing
Cut yarn and thread tail on to a yarn needle. Slip remaining stitches onto yarn needle and pull stitches tightly and secure. Weave in ends and attach buttons.