While not a universal truth, it is common for the male recipients of knitted hats (and perhaps some male knitters themselves) to like things relatively … basic. Utilitarian pieces that will serve their purposes well but tend to be fairly boring to knit. This hat is my compromise. It isn’t too fancy, nor is it pedestrian.

The cable isn’t really a cable, but a trick with crossing doubled stitches. If you need a video tutorial on working this stitch check mine out here.

You can get away with a beautiful variegated yarn if you stick with darker colors in the same color family, or you can chose a solid and it will still be ruggedly handsome. And towards the top, when the stitch count dwindles, it gets a bit - dare I say it? Fiddly, a manly hat with fiddly bits, it might be the best of both worlds.

Why is this a free pattern?

I wanted to take a moment and comment on why I have chosen to make this pattern free. It is not that I think it is not worth paying for, I think it is a great hat! I have chosen to provide this as free because I think it is a good hat for men and that it works well for “charity” knitting.

Generous knitters have used this hat for Halos for Hope, Hats for Sailors and many other worthy causes. If such a thing feels like something you would like to do, consider this my donation to your effort.

Which is not to say that you cannot use it for personal purposes, go for it! Make a hat for yourself, your partner, your son/daughter, your father/mother, your nephew/niece … the pattern is free for all. I simply wanted to explain why.