I am making this hat for the June 2016 GYI Sleepaway Camp KAL.

06-07-16: I started this hat yesterday, but am now second guessing my yarn choice. (It was Berroco Ultra Alpaca in the ‘charcoal mix’ colorwy.) I think that the 50% alpaca (while usable with perhaps a smaller stitch count) will not have enough body for a men’s sized design sample. I am going to go back to GYI and get some 100% wool worsted. It may have to be black…

06-09-16: I restarted the hat in black Berroco Vintage. This hat will be for my son. (It has been a long time since I knit something for him.) I can see many reasons why this is a better yarn choice.
1) It will be machine washable. A good idea for my son.
2) I had thought that the stitch pattern would show up better in the ‘charcoal mix’ Ultra Alpaca, but that yarn has quite a halo of lighter colored fibers which actually muddled the stitches. The black Vintage yarn is unexpectedly a much better choice for showing off the cables.
3) He did say that he would like a ‘black’ hat.

06-24-16: Finished. Photo of hat on table taken outdoors at dusk… not bad considering. I hope one day to get a photo of my son wearing it!