what's this called?

[Jessica Huntsman]

What is the name for this winding pattern?

[crabby rat]

Those are cables - but that looks knit to me.  I know you can make cables with crochet, but they look different... still beautiful, just different!!  LOL

[Gingerbread Girl]

Yep, those are knitted cables. They're a lot easier than they look. There's a way to do crochet cables as well though yes they do look different of course. I am actually putting the finishing touches on a pattern for a crocheted cable project; if I can ever actually get it all written down and get pictures (super busy with other stuff right now) I will be putting the pattern up here and maybe on Ravelry too.

[Granny Square]

Here is a tutorial on how to make those very same cables (well, how they would translate to crochet).  I believe this hat has 3 stitches on each side of the cable, so 6 stitches total.

http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa062798.htm