Want a quick and satisfying project? This hat will do the trick! It also doesn’t use much yarn---the hat uses only 45 yds/40 m in the main color and 35 yds/30 m in the contrast color.

The idea for this hat arose because I was smitten with some lovely grey and charcoal heathered Lopi. I knew the colors would look amazing on my Daddy. So, after a bit of swatching of striped owls, this hat was born. I really like it. I like that the owl has a textured breast that is flanked by wingfeathers. I like that the striping is balanced. I like that I can see each owl’s feet. And I gave the hat to my Daddy for Xmas 2012. (He’s shown displaying the hat in the fifth picture, and with the matching mittens in the last picture.)

The finished hat stretches easily to 21” in circumference (it’s about 18” in circumference when relaxed).

Stitches and techniques used: knit, purl, knit two together, cabling two stitches over two others, duplicate stitch.

(Note: the matching mittens are available as a separate pattern, or together with this hat in an eBook.)