How-to Tuesday - Pompero Striped Hat

Okay, so this hat is a little late for the cold-snap, but you should still get some good use out of it during the year, considering Ireland's generally cold-ish weather. It can be worn as a really slouchy hat, or you can fold up the brim to pull it down tighter on your head. The length means you can pull it down over your ears to keep yourself really warm!

(Apologies for the crappy self-taken photos. And the clock in the back is not part of the pattern, or attached to my head!)
To fit an average sized adult head

Materials: Approx 150g Patons Pompero yarn (or a similar weight yarn of your choice)
4.5mm circular needles or 5 dpns (double pointed needles)
Stitch marker or scrape piece of yarn to mark the rounds
Darning needle

Glossary: k - knit; p - purl; m1 - make 1, increase by picking up the bar that lies before the next
stitch and knitting into it; k2tog - decrease by knitting the next two stitches together
at the same time; sts - stitches.

How-to:
Cast on 72 sts. Join to knit in the round, or divide between 4 dpns.
Mark the end of the round with a stitch marker or a scrap piece of yarn
Work in (K2, P2) rib until the piece measures 3 inches.
Next row: (K4, M1) to end - 90 sts.
K 6 rows.
** P 2 rows.
K 4 rows. **
Repeat the previous 6 rows until you have 9 ridges of purl in total.

Shape top of head:
Row 1: (K3, K2tog) to end - 72 sts.
Row 2: K
Row 3: (K2, K2tog) - to end - 54 sts.
Row 4: (K1, K2tog) to end - 36 sts.
Row 5: (K2tog) to end - 18 sts.

Break off a long length of yarn, thread through the remaining sts, pull up tightly and fasten off.
Weave in any ends.
A very big thanks to Ruth for inviting me to guest on the blog, and I'll be posting on Friday also for the Fab5 Picks on Friday (can't wait for that, some of you Etsy Irelanders have some gorgeous stuff that I really want!).

My little shop is missaine where I mostly sell knitting patterns for toys, and sometimes a few other little handmade things. Unfortuneatly I missed any of the meet-ups for Crafty Ireland last year as I was getting married and my head was mush! But hopefully I'll get meet you guys this year at some stage.

Thanks for the reading, and if you've any problems with the pattern send me a message or email.

Aine