Lily’s Perfect Hat

 I may have finally hit on the epitomy of perfect hatness.  At least for a 4 year old named Lily.  Lily tends to be rather picky about most things, and knitwear is no exception.  I have made her 2 other hats this year.  She wears them for a short time and then finds something else that she likes better.  We’ve bounced between knitted caps to a Bentleyville hat to a fleece hat with earflaps during the coldest weather. 

This hat is made from Noro Silk Garden, so it is both warm and has a wonderful texture.  The hat fits her perfectly, coming right down to her eyebrow line to keep her forehead warm.  In Lily’s opinion, the best part are the earflaps and the fact that it ties under her chin.  I don’t know why, but the ties must be tied in an overhand knot but definitely not in a bow.  I think the fun colors are also a hit with this particular 4 year old.  As a bonus for Mommy, it makes her very easy to spot in a crowd.  The pattern is from Hat, Mittens, and Scarfs Deck.  The pattern is for a baby hat, but since Silk Garden is a thicker yarn than the dk that is called for, I used larger needles and got a bigger hat.  I also made the hat an inch or so taller than the pattern called for.

As I was knitting this, I knit the hat to the specified depth.  I tried the hat on Lily and found out that it was too short.  I was running low on yarn and was worried that I wouldn’t have enough to finish the hat, so I asked Lily if we could give this hat to a baby and I could knit her a different hat.  Lily melted down.  Her bottom lip stuck out and her eyes filled up with tears as she said she wanted this hat.  What’s a Mommy to do?  I ripped back the decreases and knit for another inch before starting the decreases again.  I used all but a few yards of the skein of Noro Silk Garden.  This time the hat fit perfectly. 

Lily likes this hat so much that for once she doesn’t mind getting her picture taken.