Pattern: Sideways Grande Cloche from Boutique Knits
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande, color 1285
Needles: US 10, 9, 8, 7
Size: One size, altered to fit smaller

It’s sad but true: I own very few hand-knitted “cold weather” items.  I guess it’s partially because I tend to gravitate towards bigger challenges like pullovers and cardigans, and I see scarves and hats as kind of boring.  Or, maybe it’s because I haven’t had success in that area of knitting.  I’m not a big fan of hats, and since my head is on the small side (“pin-head”, as my sister would say), I’m usually let down with the finished product since it’s way too big for me to wear.

One thing is for certain though and that is the love I have for this hat.  LOVE IT.  It’s deceptively complicated looking but in actuality a beginner could make this hat.  The construction is straightforward: knit a long ribbed fabric like you would a scarf, pick up some stitches on one of the long sides and knit the crown, sew up the side seam, and then pick up and knit two straps that twist together and connect at the crown to form a faux cable.  Easy!

A word of caution, though – this hat does run large.  Many knitters on Ravelry adjusted the pattern and casted on less stitches than what the pattern calls for.  I followed their advice and casted on 33 stitches so that the length of the hat (which is essentially the width of the fabric piece when you’re knitting) wouldn’t cover up my eyes.  That happens with hats, when you’re a “pin-head.”