Hat for Bill - part 1

This is the hat to go with the "Gloves (and then a Hat) for Bill" that I posted almost 2 months ago now. It took a while to work this out (obviously) ... and the 2 (or was it 3) re-knits definitely slowed me down.

The first issue was the yarn. It is way too itchy to work on its own and Bill wanted a simple close fitting hat, so I knew I'd need to line the entire hat. As an old hand at sewing, I knew I could sew in a lining, but this is knitting and it seems to me that a knit hat should have a knit lining. So (he-he) I picked up some Ella Rae Bamboo Silk yarn (70% bamboo, 30% silk) in Pumpkin.

The color really is a pumpkin orange and not as bright as it appears in these photos. Nevertheless, it isn't a "match" for the Classic Elite Desert yarn ...

but the yarn and the color work great for Bill and after all that's what really matters!

My general plan for knitting the hat was:

1. Provisional cast on using lining yarn and work about an inch.
2. Switch to main yarn, work a couple rounds, then work a turning round and work back up to where I started with the lining yarn.
3. Join the main yarn and the lining yarn.
4. Work the rest of the lining and the rest of the main hat separately.
5. Tack the pieces together at the top.

For the main yarn, I wanted some kind of a pattern, but needed something simple (to meet Bill's request and because, in my opinion, it's what the yarn required). I opted for a slipped stitch stockinette pattern - R1: knit 1, slip 1 around; R2: knit around. I knit up and blocked gauge swatches ...

While they were drying, I googled "knit hat sizing" and found this recommendation for 2-inches of negative ease and this recommendation for 1-1½-inches of negative ease. Since I was going for a "close" fit, I chose 2-inches of negative ease.

After measuring my gauge swatches, I cast on ... and worked the entire hat (without taking any pictures). I had Bill try it on a couple times during the process and he said it was a little tight, but I kept going.

Here are a few photos of the final "part 1" hat. The main hat ...

And the lining ...

One more on the top of Bill's head.

When he first put it on, it was definitely too tight: it squeezed the sides of his glasses against his head. The hat stretched out a little in wearing, but that bothered me. I had selected the garter stitch edge for the lining thinking it would add a little thickness and keep the bottom edge - which might be itchy - away from sensitive skin. In the end, I didn't like it and I felt it was a little too visible when Bill wore the hat.

So ... I ripped it all out and started over.