This hat dares you to do slightly weird things with knitting needles and yarn that end up as a basic hat, with a brim featuring one or more Jolly Roger pattern panels, complete with the crossed sabers. Knit from the top down, any yarn up to worsted weight can be used, and no swatching for gauge is necessary. You can knit this hat to any size you like - a table for helping you with sizes is included.

For the crown of the hat, you have two options – either reverse stockinette with scattered increases or reverse stockinette with an X marking your increase spots. Both versions are knit from the inside, so there’s no need for purling until you reach the fold-up brim of the hat.
In the brim, you’ll get to knit… a pirate’s favourite lace. With a skull. That pops out. What pirate would not love this?

The hat can be knit with any yarns from fingering to worsted weight. The yarn should be smooth enough to give good definition to the motif. Techniques include yo, increases and decreases, cabling, passing over of stitches, handling markers, a little row and stitch counting, and a few special moves such as a bunny-ear decrease that are explained with pictures in this pattern.

The Jolly Roger motif can also be used on any other thing knit in the round - such as wristlets, headbands, socks, or a rum bottle cosy. Because everyone needs a rum bottle cosy, right?