Norwegian Star Earflap Hat

Pattern: Tiennie's Norwegian Star Earflap Hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Pink and White
Needles: size 7 Addi Turbos

Mods: I did a mockup with some old Cascade 220, knitting the earflaps first then casting on for the hat, and I thought the brim would curl - even the way tiennie wrote the pattern. For one thing, I'm not so great with the backwards loop. It looks easy enough, but I was getting an uneven, curly brim. My solution?

I used this cable cast on that I learned from Romi when I started Muir, and crocheted two sets of 21 stitches each. Then, I cast on for the brim, knitting the crocheted stitches (instead of picking up the earflaps) as I came to them. There were some holes, and I might have still benefited from the backward loop cast on...oh well. I used the yarn ends from the flaps to weave those holes shut.

I knit a 2x2 rib brim, because I like the look of a 2x2 brim on a hat, and it had already worked really well when I knit this hat up for my sister. I followed the rest of the pattern as it was written, although I wish I had made the top of my hat taller, and had knit less rows between the brim and the pattern - the yarn I used on my sister's hat was a little bit thicker, and it made for a taller, albeit slightly tighter hat. Also, I loved one mod I saw on ravelry with some added stripes. I may just be using that idea when I knit this hat for Jason.

After I pulled the yarn through the crown and finished the hat portion of the hat, I unzipped the crocheted yarn at the brim, and started knitting the earflaps. I have to say that although the other way seems just fine, this way makes more sense to me, since after I've decreased down to 3 stitches, it's so much easier to just keep on going with the i-cord.

I finished this hat yesterday just as we got to Revere Beach. I thought it was warm enough to leave the hat (whose ends were still hanging all about since I had forgotten scissors), but I had to put it on when we got back to the car, because I think the cold had come in through my ears and frozen my brain. Thank goodness I have it now for the blizzard. It's such a warm hat.