The cable chart looks much more overwhelming than it is in reality. It’s actually quite clear, well-written, and eventually intuitive to read without the key. A pleasurable knit!

Steam blocked this rather than wet blocking since I was certain the alpaca would make it grow larger than I’d like. Steam did a marvelous job evening out the stitches and accentuating the cables.

I think if I were to knit this again, I’d drop down a needle size on the hat body to tighten the cables as they decrease at the crown, but that’s a bit nitpicky.

The Angel’s Kiss Alpaca Merino blend is a dream to work with. The kettle dyeing allows for gorgeous and subtle tonal variegation. It mixes the best of both worlds - the softness of alpaca without shedding, and the springy feel of merino. Ideal for cable knitting.