[GrumpyGramma]

Just a thought.....is there anything preventing us from knitting a 'bottom-up' hat pattern in reverse order, that is to say, top-down?

Cast on the final number of stitches you would have decreased down to....and start knitting down....substituting decreases with increases?

Easy to figure the math, the number of stitches you'd need as you increase your way to the bottom, I'd think.

I did this with a raglan sweater. I guess it's basically the same concept. I've not worked with drecreases and cables or other (what I consider) complicated stitch patterns.