It's on...and off the Needles

My daughter's birthday is on Valentine's Day.  When I asked her what gifts she would like this year, she requested some knitting supplies and a practical, sturdy, warm knit hat that she could wear to the slopes.  Nothing fussy or high maintenance. 

We live 1/2 half hour away from 8 different ski resorts and Erin is an avid and fairly fearless skier.  She surpassed her parents skill level before she was seven; she skis steep slopes and powder that the rest of us never would dare to attempt; and she always wears her helmet.  But ears get cold on the way to the slopes.  So off we went to the Wool Cabin for yarn.  Berocco Weekend in Mariana Blue,was her choice. The pattern she chose was this , the Odessa Hat.  Since we opted to omit the beads, the design is feminine but practical.  The pattern calls for DK weight, so I knit up a swatch with the worsted so I could adjust the sizing.  We felt that the length was too short in the original pattern but because the worsted gauge was bigger, I didn't need to add any more rows.  Erin did ask that the ribbing be wider so I added an extra inch of ribbing to the original pattern and followed the instructions as written. 

On the needles, blocking, and DONE!

Just what Erin requested; a warm, washable, and wearable hat.  Might I add, very cute too!