Touchdown

Seaman's Cap

Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian highland wool; worsted weight)
Colorways: 7824 (orange) and 8555 (black)
Needles: US 6 and 7 dpns
Stitches: 102

It's a Christmas miracle...or just some faster knitting than I expected I had in me. I decided that my dad needed a new hat from me. The one I knit two years ago was a little tight, and I don't think he was wearing it. I decided to make this one with Cascade 220, which I've had pretty good success with in this pattern, and picked Cincinnati Bengals colors for it.

I could have gone two ways with it: orange brim with black crown or black rim with orange crown. Knowing him, I figured he'd prefer the less colorful option of the two, but since I hadn't started it before arriving at my parents' home for Christmas, I asked what he preferred. My instinct was correct, as you can see above. I started yesterday afternoon and had it done this afternoon. Not bad. Plus, sew a Bengals patch onto the brim and it might look like the real deal.

One of the challenges for me in making this hat has been to get it long enough to cover my ears. I've experimented with different yarns and knitting more length than the pattern calls for. This time I think I hit upon the perfect dimensions. For the brim I knit ten rows instead of seven in the k1, p2 pattern after the knit row. Rather than knitting only 7.5 inches to begin decreases, I knit 8 inches. The hat has a snug fit and covers my ears, so it definitely works for me and should for my dad. Hooray!

I still have plenty of yarn left over, so I'll probably do a version with the colors reversed for myself. I don't know that I plan to work on it while I'm here--I'll be returning home before I realize it--but it's good to know that I can whip out one of these in short order. That's also helpful information since one of my brothers requested a hat too. He's currently out of the country and doesn't get back until January, so I can stall a bit more in knitting that hat.

I hope you've had a merry Christmas wherever you may be.