Husband Hat Quasi-Pattern

I had a request for the Husband Hat pattern, so here is what I did, to the best of my recollection. My memory is crappy, and I don't take very good notes, but hopefully you can improvise from what I do remember.

Yarn: one skein each Paton's Classic Wool in black and olive, or any felt-able worsted weight yarn

Needles: size 8 16 in. circular and DPN's, and a size H crochet hook

I didn't pay any attention to gauge whatsoever. Sorry.

Using the black yarn and circ. needle, cast on 114 stitches- my husband has a big ol' Fred Flintstone head (23 7/8") so you might need to cast on less.

Place marker, join, being careful not to twist, and work in stockinette for about nine inches or so- again, this should be adjusted by the size of the wearer's head. Felting makes knitting shrink by about 30%, so make it that much longer than you would normally have it.

Decrease for the crown, switching to DPN's when necessary:
Round 1. (K17, K2tog) around
Round 2. K
Round 3.(K16, K2tog) around
Round 4. K
Round 5. (K15, K2tog) around
Round 6. K

Continue in this fashion, knitting one less stitch before the k2tog in every other round, until you get to the (k2, k2tog) round. Skip the knit round and go straight to (k1, k2tog) around. Then k2tog around, and cut yarn leaving a long tail (about a foot). Thread the tail onto a needle, and draw through all stitches twice. Pull tight, and fasten yarn to the inside of the hat.

Ear flaps:
Mark where you want the ear flaps to be. I did this by putting it on my hubby's head, and noting where his ears were. Again, I added a little to account for the felting.

With right side facing, pick up and knit the number of stitches you get from that (I think I got 13), and knit in stockinette until your flap is square.

To form the point, stay in stockinette and decrease one stitch each row until you have three stitches remaining. Bind off. Repeat for the other flap.

Edging:
Stick a slip knot on your crochet hook and single crochet around the edge of the hat.

At this point, weave in any ends and you're ready to felt!

I threw it in the washer on the hot cycle with a pair of jeans, and pulled it out before the spin cycle. I rolled it in a towel to remove most of the excess water (the spin cycle makes it too fuzzy). Then I threw it in the dryer to shrink it further. Check it's progress often, and stop when it's the right size. I let it dry completely on a bowl on the kitchen counter.

Once the hat was completely dry, I added the braids to the flaps. To attach them, I threaded yarn right through the fabric so it was sort of folded in half, and braided them together. You can do it before and felt them, or make crocheted chains or whatever you want.

Good luck!