hat!

hi! my name is amanda and all i do is knit hats! i'm serious. i don't think i've been this productive in a long time. i've just gotten to the point where most of the time i can knit simple things without looking, and that's opened my whole world up.
i kept notes for this hat with flaps, and so here is my haphazard pattern.

you will need:

• size 9 circular needles, the 16 inch kind.
  
• a set of size 9 double pointed needles.
  
• a skein of chunky wool. i used almost a whole skein of wool of the andes bulky hand dye. the color is impatiens, which is a lot pinker in real life than it is in the photo on their website. just so you know.
  
• a few stitch markers.
• a yarn needle.

cast on 86 stitches. join, being careful not to twist (um, duh. i like how this is basically how every single hat pattern starts!). knit 5 rows of 1x1 rib stitch. after that, switch to stockinette stitch. knit until piece is 5 inches long total, from cast on edge to knit edge. start decrease!

row 1: *knit 2 together, knit 6, repeat from * until end. it might not end neatly.
row 2 and all even rows unless noted: purl.
row 3: *knit 2 together, knit 5, repeat from * until end.
row 5: *knit 2 together, knit 4, repeat from * until end.
row 7: *knit 2 together, knit 3, repeat from * until end.
row 8: *knit 2 together, knit 2, repeat from * until end.
row 9: *knit 2 together, knit 1, repeat from * until end.
row 10:*knit 2 together, repeat from * until end.
cut a long tail, thread through remaining stitches and pull closed.

to create flaps, put the hat on your head and figure out where your ears are. using stitch markers that open up is good for this. i use 50 stitches to make the flaps and back, but i like mine to sit back off my face. you might use more, you might use less. i have a very round head!
using the double pointed needles, pick up however many stitches you need, in my case, 50. i divide among three double pointed needles, with 20 on each end for the flaps, and 10 for the center. i picked up my stitches on one hat from the outside in, and it made a little ridge. on this hat, i picked up from the inside out, and it kept it smooth. after i picked up and divided my stitches, i knit in stockinette for 3 rows.

on the 4th row, knit along the first needle like normal. the bind off the center 10 stitches. knit along the second needle to finish row.

now you'll only be working on one needle for a while, to finish the flap. follow these directions for finishing the other flap as well.

row 1: purl.
row 2: knit 2 together, knit to last 2, then ssk.
row 3: purl.
row 4: knit.
repeat rows three and four until you have 10 stitches left on your needle.
row 1: knit 2 tog, knit 2, knit 2 tog, knit 2, ssk.
row 2: purl.
row 3: knit 2 tog, knit 3, ssk.
row 4: purl.
row 5: knit 2 tog, knit 2, ssk.
bind off in purl.

weave in ends, then cut 6 strands of yarn into lengths of about 40inches. on the bottom of each flap, thread 3 of those strands, doubling them up so that when they hang it looks like 6 strands. braid until long enough for you, then trim the ends.

you'll need to block the flaps or else you'll look like a crazy dutch kid. then wear your hat everywhere and when someone goes, "dude, nice hat," you can say, "thanks, i made it myself."