Necessity is not always the mother of invention; sometimes laziness comes into play. This hat was designed and made in about three hours from start to finish. Because I didn’t want it to take forever, I used the extended double crochet stitch (also called herringbone DC) once I got past the shaping. It is only 19 rounds total, including the optional contrast edging, but is definitely long enough to go over the ears and keep them warm. Two of the three caps in the pattern picture are gifts, and each took only a couple of hours, so if you have any last-minute need, this would make a good pattern.. I used Red Heart Super Saver because it’s machine-washable and bulletproof, but be sure to grope your desired colorway to be sure it’s fairly soft; there’s a lot of variation with this yarn. Or just use something comparable.