Winter in the midwest is brutal, so I warm, cozy hat is a must-have winter accessory. Growing up my dad never wore knit wool hats. Instead he opted for a wool ascot hat. He has them in a range of colors - from a light camel wool to stark, dignified black. Many of his ascots even have retractable ear flaps that only made an appearance on the coldest of cold winter mornings. So, this winter I was thoroughly surprised to hear my dad declare that he'd like to find a new winter hat. I asked him why he never wore a knit wool cap, and he admitted that he had tried, but never seemed to find one that was warm, soft, and roomy enough to fit his rather large noggin. I immediately decided that the best solution was to make a hand knit hat for him, with some extra stitches here and there to ensure a roomy but snug fit. I also wanted to make sure my dad's hat would cover his ears, providing the same coverage as his beloved ascot caps.
My pattern choice was easy - brooklyn tweed's Habitat. Jared Flood's is truly an amazing fiber artist, and his cable patterns are exquisite. The modifications I made to the hat along with yarn details can be found on my Ravelry page (you need to have a Ravelry account to access the page). I used Malabrigo Yarn Merino in a worsted weight, and I will definitely be using it again. I used the magic loop to knit the hat in the round.
The hat fits my dad perfectly (his ears are covered nicely!), and most importantly he loves it. Seeing my parents happy makes me happy!
