Swatch

• 1). Cast on approximately 20 stitches. Knit in stockinette stitch -- knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side -- until the swatch measures at least 4 inches in length.
  
  
• 2). Place a ruler across your swatch. Count the number of stitches in 4 inches of one row to determine your gauge.
  
  
• 3). Adjust needle size if necessary. Go up a needle size if you have more than 20 stitches per 4 inches and go down a needle size if you have less than 20 stitches.
  
  

Knit The Hat

• 1). Cast on 90 [100, 110] stitches and distribute your stitches comfortably over four needles. The fifth needle is used for doing the knitting.
  
  
• 2). Knit the brim of the hat by working in garter stitch in the round -- knit one row, purl one row, repeat -- for 5 inches.
  
  
• 3). Begin working in stockinette stitch -- knit every row - to knit the body of the hat. Continue until the hat measures 7.5 [8.5, 9.5] inches from the cast-on edge.
  
  
• 4). Mark the beginning of your round and begin decreasing for the top of the hat as follows:
  
  Row 1 - knit eight stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 2 -- knit all stitches.
  
  Row 3 -- knit seven stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 4 -- knit all stitches.
  
  Row 5 -- knit six stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 6 -- knit all stitches.
  
  Row 7 -- knit five stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 8 -- knit all stitches.
  
  Row 9 -- knit four stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 10 -- knit three stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 11 -- knit two stitches, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 12 -- knit one stitch, knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 13 - knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  Row 14 - knit two together, repeat to the end of the round.
  
  
• 5). Break yarn and then thread it through the darning needle. Thread the yarn through all remaining stitches and pull tight.
  
  

Knit the Earflaps -- Optional

• 1). Cast on 20[22, 24] stitches. Knit back and forth in garter stitch -- knit every row -- for 1.5 [2, 2.5] inches.
  
  
• 2). On the next row, knit one stitch, knit two together, knit across to the last three stitches, knit two together, knit the last stitch. Knit one row even. Repeat the previous two rows until there are four stitches remaining. Bind off all remaining stitches.
  
  
• 3). Repeat steps 1 and 2 of Section 3 to make a second earflap.
  
  
• 4). Decorate your hat with long braids and/or pompoms on the ends of the earflaps if desired.
  
  

Finishing

• 1). Fold 2.5 inches, or desired length, of the garter stitch brim up.
  
  
• 2). Sew one earflap to the bottom of the folded edge of the brim if you have made earflaps and sew the other one to the edge on the opposite side of the hat.
  
  
• 3). Sew in all ends.