DIY: Knit Orange Oak Crest Hat by Vanessa Townley

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

This oak crest hat is a study in cables, unlike any other project I’ve ever made. The elaborate cables make a lovely repeating leaf design. After this hat, I have a much better understanding of cable construction, which was previously very mysterious to me.

Vanessa Townley designed the Oak Crest Hat for Pom Pom Quarterly Issue 14. I’m not familiar with Vanessa’s work, but this clever design made me a fan. Along with the beautiful leaf design, the top knot is just adorable. I love this alternate to a pom pom and I may borrow it for my next hat design.

For the orange oak crest hat, I used Cascade 220 yarn. It is worsted weight and 100% wool in a bright orange colour that I bought at a yard sale. I made a size 2 and the hat used about 60% of the skein.

Another clever feature of the construction is the sizing adjustments for different head sizes. Since the leaf repeat is on the larger side, the size is adjusted by adding an extra stitch at the beginning of each repeat, rather than inserting another whole leaf. It is very easy to increase the size of this hat to fit any large sized head.

This is one of our many recent projects from Pom Pom Quarterly. During the pandemic, M and I have tried to support our small local yarn shops. Since our stashes are bursting, we have started our collection of beautiful craft magazines. Some favourites are PPQ, Making, and Rib.

This design has cables going in every direction, some with a three stitch construction, which really tested my technical knowledge. It took me quite a few rows to recognize when I’d made a stitch in the wrong direction.

For this size, I cast on 120 stitches using size US 5 / 3.75 mm and US 8 / 5.0 mm. I also discovered that bamboo needles are preferable for cables, as they are less likely to drop a stitch. I can pick up knits or purls a few rows down, but a cable is just about impossible!

Get the Oak Crest Pattern by Vanessa Townley here.

You can also buy this finished hat from our Etsy shop here.