A few weeks ago I talked about this hat and yesterday I finished it. Just in time for cold hard winds. I have very tender ears! Cold wind against and blowing into my ears really hurts and can easily lead to a headache, so I wanted a hat that would block out the wind. I think I have finally made one.

This hat is knit double – and I’m sorry to say that I was so quick to finish it that I didn’t get a photo of it all stretched out before I doubled it (slipped one end inside the other) and tacked the crowns together at the top. Whenever I finish something by pulling a few stitches together at the end I have to think of my friend Andy who hates a “cat butt” finish. Me too. So I made a little flower.

The pattern is Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague. The multicolored speckle yarn is Merino 17 Light in color “Cake” by Western Sky Knits. The “17” means that each fiber is 17 microns in diameter, which is very VERY small and so incredibly soft. I could happily wear this type of Merino next to my skin all day long. I had to add in some yarn I had in stash for the second side because I was running out. The pink stripes are Madelinetosh Tosh Sock.

The pattern gives you a lot of gauge options for knitting the hat, from 4.5 to 7 stitches per inch. I wanted something knit very tightly so I went down to 8.5 stitches per inch on size 2.5mm needles. I had to estimate how many stitches I would need to fit my head. I have to say, I got it just right! I ended up with 38 total stitches in each of the 4 sections. The final hat measures 20″ in diameter and 10.5″ from crown to bottom edge.

By the time you double the knitted fabric, and double it AGAIN by folding up the brim, I’ve got 4 layers of tightly knit fabric against my tender ears. I wore it last night when we walked to the movie theater, in North Sea coastal wind, and felt warm and cozy in my new hat. I’m now ready for winter, which we all know is coming.