The alternating purl and knit sections of this hat are perfect for showing off a self-striping yarn like Knit Picks Chroma or Noro Kureyon, and with its rapid decreases it really hugs the top of your head. It knits up quickly and is toasty warm, and best of all it never fails to get compliments. The fabric created by this pattern is inherently stretchy so it will fit a wide range of head sizes, but you can easily size it up or down by simply adjusting the number of stitches you cast on. I wrote the basic pattern for worsted weight yarn but have also knit it with many other size yarns; whatever size hat you need or yarn you choose, the key is to cast on a multiple of 8 stitches, plus 1. (The “plus 1” stitch will be knit together with the first cast on stitch to eliminate that pesky jog you get when you join in the round.)