A Handsome Hat

Project Specs
Pattern: Millers Hat designed by Kirsten Kapur
Pattern Source: Through the Loops! Ravelry store
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Azul Profundo, 105g (220 yards)
Needles: Denise Circular Needles size US7 and US8, DPNs size US8
Date Started: 12/7/2009
Date Finished: 1/12/2010
Finished Size: Men's large, to fit head 23" around
Modifications: Upped needle sizes to 7's (for band and finishing edging) and 8's for body of hat, omitted rows 10 and 12 at crown
See it on Ravelry!

For me, one of the hardest things to find is the perfect men's hat pattern. There are a few great patterns out there that I always look to first (Koolhaas, Habitat, Turn a Square, and Thorpe), however this time I needed something with a bit of a slouch to it. After a bit of searching and much deliberating, I finally settled on the Miller's Hat. It's a relatively new release from Kristen Kapur, who manages to keep pumping out awesome pattern after awesome pattern.

This pattern is written for one size, to fit up to a 22" head. Since Kenny's head is a bit larger I upped the needle size to US7 for the herringbone brim and to US8 for the cabled body of the hat. Once I got to the top of the hat I was a bit concerned that it was turning out a little too long and pointy so I omitted rows 10 and 12 of the crown. In the end it probably didn't make that much of a difference, but it turned out with the perfect length to get just the right amount of slouch. I'm really glad I upped the needles or it would have turned out too small, so if you knit this hat for a man who has an average to large size head, I'd suggest considering doing the same.

I was able to knit the hat in 2 or 3 days, working at a leisurely pace. Once I got to the garter stitch edging I set it aside to finish up some other gifts I was making, but when I picked it back up it only took an hour or two to finish. I originally tried knitting the edging in Frank Ochre, but my picked up stitches were too visible and sloppy looking so I opted to knit the garter stitch in the color to match the hat. I didn't bother counting to get the exact amount of stitches around the bottom edge, and just picked up however many that made sense. I ended up having to use just a tiny bit of a second skein for the edging, but if I had knit this hat with the recommended needles I'm sure the whole thing would have only taken 1 skein of Malabrigo.

I know it is no surprise that I'm using Malabrigo again but this yarn really does suit the pattern perfectly. Since this hat has a brim that covers the ears, you definitely want to pick a yarn that is really cozy and warm. Also Malabrigo has such a nice drape after washing which is a real plus for this pattern. This is my first time using the color Azul Profundo and it is AMAZING and now my favorite blue colorway. It is definitely a great unisex color, which Malabrigo seems to have quite a few of. This pattern would definitely make a great addition to any Malabrigo March or Ravelympics line up!