There’s enough info in the charts to knit this without instructions and wing it where I have to. I like it better than other similar hats so it’s worth the effort.

10/14/12: Going unbelievably well. The pattern is totally knitable with just the chart. The V with the circle on it is a wrap and turn, the V is a slip, the loopy thing is a M1 (I am doing them left and right leaning using the strand below, but I assume any M1 would work). See how row 53 is the last one where you’re meant to increase 1 as the final stitch? That’s because it’s the last row in which you still have stitches from way back on row 25 on your needles. All of the shaping is done with short rows. Also, I knitted this in one piece. I knitted the brim, cut the plastic insert for it, and picked up the stitches for row 1 of the main body through both layers of it, stitching it closed around the plastic piece and eliminating my need to graft anything together in one step.

As of row 110, it looks like 1 skein of each color of the elfin tweed will be enough, but I’ll be cutting it close on the darker shade.

My gauge in the houndstooth area is 40 stitches and 36 rows per 4”. It’s closer to 34 stitches in the solid areas. The brim is just under 6 1/4 “ wide. More measurements are coming as I get closer to the end. I’m using size 1.5 straight bamboo needles.

Rows 115 and 16: I put the extra stitches at the end of these two rows on a holder so I don’t have any extra bulk from a bind off to hide in the seam.

10/16: done!