Pattern testing is one of my favourite parts of the crochet community! It allows me to make new friends and try patterns that I might not otherwise get to try. Recently, I was chosen by Barkley to test her Carter Cable Beanie, and it was a great experience!

• 1/2 skein of Caron Cakes – a worsted (4) weight yarn (above: Buttercream)
• Size H (5.00 mm) hook
• Size I (5.50 mm) hook

Pattern by Barkley at ByondtheBrushByBarks

A good cable pattern is always nice to have, and I can feel this one becoming an instant classic. Barkley did such an amazing job! It reminds me of the Cabled Afghan I made last Christmas, except this only took me a day to work up, as opposed to the weeks I spent on the blanket.

I confirmed through this pattern that I crochet very tightly, as I had trouble making the gauge work the first time I tried to start this toque. Nevertheless, the second time seemed to work better, as I managed to make it work, even though it was quite snug. If I make this pattern again, I think I’d size up hooks, or add to the initial chain, just to be safe.

I think that this was a great project to use the ombré yarn cake on, as the slow colour fade worked out almost perfectly from row to row. It also helped to bring out the dimensions of the cables!

On this pattern testing experience, I got to be in a group chat with the other testers, and I thought that was a really neat experience! We basically worked through the pattern together and shared helpful tips, which I appreciated. Barkley was also super responsive and supportive and it made a huge difference. I also got to see what the other testers made. It’s crazy what a difference yarn choice makes, but seeing my own ombré yarn compared to solid colours and speckled yarn made me fall in love with this pattern even more!

Some of the other testers even added huge pom-poms, which upped the cuteness factor. Pom-poms also have the added bonus of covering up the finish at the top of the toque. For the life of me, I can never seem to close toques that are worked from the bottom-up quite as tightly as I like, but I’ll keep working on that. I think my problem would be great for messy bun hats though.

Until next time, happy crafting