A scientific excursion to research the arctic ice cap of Greenland gave Kelly Bridges the idea for this thick, ear-hugging hat. In preparation for the cold and wind, many of the men in her group brought along earflap hats, but they refused to fasten the ties under their necks for fear of looking girly. Kelly discovered a solution in brioche stitch, its natural tendency to cup the ears without ties, and designed this cute hat for children. For extra warmth, shes worked this hat with a double strand of alpaca. Its done in the round from the bottom up, and the earflaps are shaped with short rows.
Finished Size: 16 (18, 18)" (40.5 [45.5, 45.5] cm) circumference and 6 (6 1/2, 7)" (15 [16.5, 18] cm) long from top to base of earflap. To fit 6-12 months (1-2 years, 2-4 years).
Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Sport Weight (100% alpaca; 130 yd [119 m]/ 50 g): 1 ball each of MC and CC. Hats shown in #31 blue (MC) with #30 pale blue (CC), and #205 rose (MC) with #95 pink (CC).
Yarn weight: #2 - Fine
Gauge: 14 sts and 42 rnds
Needles: Size 6 (4 mm): 16" (40-cm) circular (cir) and set of 4 doublepointed (dpn). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle
Originally Published: Interweave Knits, Fall 2005