From the Knit Picks Website:

Conventional wisdom says that cables and alpaca aren’t a good combination. But once in a while, you have to throw convention out the window. This cabled hood was designed with Reverie in mind. The shape and design of it is different from most hoods. The shaping comes from a sequence of short rows, which complicate the cables.

It’s not a project for a beginner or even an intermediate-level knitter. Anyone who is brave enough to take on this project should already have a good grasp on cabling and short rows, as well as reading their own knitting. And they should know how to do basic crochet edgings.

A less experienced knitter could try the simpler, ribbed version.