Wanted: A Simple Man's Hat

[Whisper-Ma-Phone]

Hi Ladies,

I never thought it would be so hard to find a plain old hat to knit for my husband. Everything either has ear flaps or a brim or pompoms. I just want to make him a simple winter hat that is warm and will cover his ears.

I tried the Marsan Watchcap (free pattern section) and it's beautiful -- but I had to give it to my toddler. I made the pattern larger as suggested (an extra 8 stitches and 4 rows) but it's a tiny hat. It doesn't even fit me properly. A dismal failure, though it is gorgeous in a twisted knit rib. I hope my 2-1/2 year old appreciates it, but so far I can't even keep it on his head...

So if anyone can suggest a simple man's hat -- probably ribbed with a cuff and preferably done in the round -- I would be most grateful.

Thanks!

[janelanespaintbrush]

You can use this hat recipe (http://www.mielkesfarm.com/bsic_hat.htm) to make a hat of any size.

[Whisper-Ma-Phone]

Brilliant! Thank you.

Do you suggest measuring the head to get B?

[janelanespaintbrush]

Brilliant! Thank you.

Do you suggest measuring the head to get B?

That's probably the best thing to do, though if you don't want the recipient to know about it, you can always just guess. According to the site, adult heads are usually between 20-22" which means the hat should be between 18-21" when adjusted 1-2" for snugness. If he has a big head, go towards the larger end of the scale and vice versa.

If you like the Marsan cap, you could just use the hat recipe to figure out how many to cast on, and pretty much follow the instructions for Marsan with a couple changes... You'd want to make sure the # of CO stitches is divisible by 4 to so that your decreases will be evenly divided at the top, and when you're ready to put markers for decreasing, just make sure they're evenly spaced instead of putting one every 18 stitches.