Green Cabled Baby Hat

I did finally get to a yarn store and write down the next part of the pattern for the sweater I am working on, but I made one more baby hat out of the yarn I had brought with me on our trip before then.  This green yarn was really intended just to be pumpkin stems (and other fruit/veggie stems in the future) but I needed a project and there was more than enough yarn to make a hat and several more stems.  I thought it would be fun to make a cabled baby hat and came up with this design.  It staggers the cables which I think gives it a nice all-over cabled look.  It's pretty small so it is probably best as a preemie or newborn size (although I am not an expert in baby head sizes).  Also, ever since I saw this tutorial I have been cabling without a cable needle - if you haven't tried it yet I highly recommend it!

I love seeing the hats that have been made with this pattern on Ravelry; if you are on Flickr you can also share a photo in the Needle and Spatula Flickr group.

Staggered Cable Baby Hat
Swish DK yarn
Size 5 long circular needles or DPNs and a row counter

CO 80 stitches and join in the round using magic loop technique, being careful not to twist. Use tail to mark beginning of round.  Work K1 P1 rib for 3/4" - 1", then work in rounds as follows (repeating round 1 twice on the first repeat):
Rounds 1,2,4,5: *K6, P2, repeat from *
Round 3: *cable 6 forward (C6F) (or back, just be consistent), P2, K6, P2, repeat from *
Round 6: *K6, P2, C6F, P2, repeat from *
repeat rounds 1-6 two times
repeat rounds 1-2
Decrease round 1: *C6F, P2, K2tog K2 ssk, P2, repeat from *
2 rounds of: *K6, P2, K4, P2, rep from *
Decrease round 2: *K2tog K2 ssk, P2, cable 4 forward (C4F), P2, rep from *
1 round of: *K4, P2, rep from *
Decrease round 3: * C4F, P2tog, K4, P2tog, rep from *
1 round of: *K4, P1, rep from *
Decrease round 4: *K2tog ssk, P1, C4F, P1, rep from *
1 round of: *K2, P1, K4, P1, rep from *
Decrease round 5: *K2, P1, K2tog ssk, P1, rep from *
1 round of: *K2, P1, rep from *
Decrease round 6: *K2tog, P1, rep from *
1 round of *K1 P1, rep from *
Decrease round 7: K2tog, repeat for all stitches (10 st remain)
Decrease round 8: K2tog, repeat for all stitches (5 st remain)
Thread yarn through remain stitches and pull tight, then weave in ends.

NOTE ON SIZING: (added 10/18)
Since this pattern as written probably makes more of a preemie/newborn size hat, I wanted to provide some additional options to make it more helpful for larger babies.  To make a slightly larger hat, you can repeat the initial rounds 1-6 three or four times, rather than 2.  I think this would be more like an infant - 3 month size.  For larger sizes, try making the hat using worsted weight yarn and larger needles (and probably 3-4 or more repeats of the initial pattern).  I hope no one has made this hat and had it turn out too small...