It’s kind of a weird hat. While I love the pillbox shape, a much firmer fabric is needed to actually hold that shape. So I’m not sure what you would call this style as I’ve knit it--but it’s very cute.

This hat is big. If you knit to gauge and have an average-sized head, it’s probably going to come down over your eyes. I have a fairly large head, I knit to gauge (well, I compensated for not getting gauge), and the hat is a little loose.

Also, the middle pattern section contributes the most to the pillbox shape, so it needs to be nice and straight and firm; but in reality it tends to get sucked inward. It’s just the nature of doing a stranded section above a non-stranded section. I should have added sts after the first tuck, and taken them out again before the second tuck. Also, I would probably do a 4-row tuck instead of a six-row tuck, at least for the second one (which really sticks out and looks a bit goofy).

I used Wollmeise DK, which is a wonderfully drapey yarn…and quite inappropriate for this design. Although it makes for fabulous crisp colorwork, it’s too drapey to hold the pillbox shape. I should have used something firmer. I would also knit this at a tighter gauge, or use fatter yarn at the same gauge, were I to knit this again.

All this being said, it’s still a really cute hat! It will keep my head warm without squeezing my hair flat…and the WM is completely non-itchy against my speshul snowflake skin. So, although it doesn’t look exactly like the sample, I still love it :)

For next time:

Firmer fabric! Use a thicker yarn at the recommended gauge.

Smaller band! either line the band, or CO fewer sts.

Fatter middle! Work increases in the first row after the first tuck, and twice as many decreases before the second tuck (second tuck round should be smaller than the first).

Knit the crown in the contrast color.