This pattern will be temporarily offered for free.

This year my husband, Erik, requested an earflap hat so this past month I designed a hat I thought he would enjoy wearing. This is the story of Erik’s hat. Because Erik is very cold resistant and only agrees to wear hats when the weather drops to about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, I knew only a really warm hat would work. Thus, I concluded I need something aran weight, thick without being too chunky. The perfect yarn you ask? Blue Sky Extra. This soft alpaca and merino yarn is both warm and super squishy. This hat is cast on at the brim with the earflaps added on after the rest of the hat is completed, so you can knit it without doing the earflaps if you want. Additionally, the earflaps can be either worn down or flipped up into the body of the hat if you decide you don’t want the earflaps one day. There are two bind off options for the earflaps, either plain or with an i-cord bind off that can be done with a contrasting color to add another pop of visual interest to the hat. Three skeins of yarn will be enough for three hats and it would also look charming in just two colors. And there you have it: Erik’s hat. One more thing to keep in mind: Heads come in all shapes and sizes. My husband’s noggin is on the larger end of the spectrum and so the large size is designed to accommodate an extra large head.