Santa Hat

I couldn't decide who looked cuter in the Handknit Holidays Santa hat, so here are both pics. You decide. But be quick about it - before hubby notices and makes me remove his picture.

I modified the hat because my cream alpaca was stash yarn and significantly thinner than the bulky called for in the pattern.

I did a provisional cast on and knit the red part of the hat as directed using Knit Picks Decadence in Winter Berry. LOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVE that yarn. After trying the bobble brim as directed using first a single strand, then two strands together, and finally three strands together and still not liking the finished look, I tried a different approach.

This time I picked up the stitches and knit a ribbed band in red, then I followed Nicole's advice from the Handknit Holidays-along blog for the elongated bobbles (making sure the right side was facing out after folding the bobble band over the ribbing). Finally I crocheted a chain around the join of the red and white to hide the red that was peeking through.

Not perfect but still pretty fun.