The best hat for cold weather? I hope so. I thought a lot about all the features I needed in my perfect winter hat whilst I designed it, and I worked on three prototypes before I was completely happy with the design.
This is why I think this hat works so well for cold weather:

• The hat is knitted on smaller needles than those given on the ball band, to create a dense, warm fabric, and using the suggested yarn means that you won’t lose any softness in the finished fabric.

• You can pull this hat waaay down over your ears, and the clever split at the back of the rib band ensures that the hat doesn’t end up over your eyes as well.

• If you’re not feeling in a slouchy mood, just turn the band back to transform the hat into a beanie, and the split in the band will make sure the hat isn’t too tight.

• This hat is simple to make, big on impact, and small on knitting time.

Some more details:

Sizes: Child (Teen, Woman, Man). Finished hat circumference (relaxed): 15 (17¼, 19½, 21½) in/38 (44, 49.5, 54.5) cm, to fit approximate head circumference: 15 – 17(17 – 19, 19 – 21, 21 – 23) in/38 – 43 (43 – 48, 48 – 53, 53 – 58.5) cm.

Yarn Used: Imperial Yarn Native Twist bulky/chunky weight yarn, 100% wool; 65 (82, 104, 120) yds/60 (75, 95, 110) m.

Needles: Pair straight needles US size 8/5mm; set of Double Pointed Needles (DPNs) US size 10/6mm. If preferred, a short circular needle or a longer circular needle and magic loop method can be used for working in the round.

Other Tools and Supplies: Removable stitch marker, yarn needle, crochet hook US size 7/4.5mm (optional), purchased 5 in/13 cm diameter pompom, or hand-made pompom (allow more yarn if choosing this option).

My pattern testers confirmed that this pattern is suitable for a confident beginner.

Got questions? Ask them over on the Jane Howorth group