regular needles instead of circular needles?

[not2crafty]

I'm just learning how to knit and am wanting to make a hat with ear flaps for my husband's Christmas present. All the patterns I've seen online use circular needles. I just learned with regular needles, and would 1)rather not learn something more new right now and 2)don't have much money and don't want to buy new needles. Is it possible to use regular needles? How would I convert the pattern? Thanks so much for any help I can get...ASAP (I'm running out of time! ).

[tarrentella]

There are quite a few knits which are knit flat and then seamed but im not certain i have seen one with ear flaps. You could always make a plain hat and then pick up stitches on each side to add ear flaps, but im not certasin the shaping would be right.
HAve a look here: www.knittingpatterncentral.com it is a directory of free knitting patterns on the net and might well include a flat-knit, ear-flap hat.