26 Jun
While I adore this hat, I don’t like the colors they offer it in, so I decided to try to make my own unique colorway using this post as a guide.

27 Jun
I don’t want to line this but I don’t want the floats to show either, so I’m knitting the earflaps in the round, repeating the chart on each side.

28 Jun
I just started the second earflap and it’s looking so much neater than the first one. I’m going to rip out the first one, restart it and catch it up to the second one, then knit two at a time in the round.
….
I just got some new needles (HiyaHiya SHARPS!) and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I’m ripping out the second-go earflaps and starting them again using the HiyaHiyas. (I was using the KnitPicks metal and I hate them - they are so slippery! I end up knitting much too tightly and trying to move the tight stitches plus holding heavy needles and the needles leeching heat, my hands ache so much.)

02 July
The earflaps are attached and I’ve done the first chart section. My gauge with US3s was right on but I went up to US4s which should give me a hair smaller than a 23” hat, which should be perfect. Fingers crossed, as it is looking rather big now.
….
Size around should fit but it will, however, be a very very tall hat as I’m getting about 7 rows per inch, not the 10 rows per inch the pattern calls for. But I’m going to do all of the different pattern rows because a tall hat equals a slouchy hat and that’s fun!

05 July
Things are going swimmingly! The hat is fitting perfectly and the colors are really meshing well now, I think. I was a bit worried about the overabundance of blue but I think it works - and once the cyan on the very top and in the i-cord shows up, that will change the color distribution again. It is delightfully obnoxious and I love knitting it - not only is the pattern interesting (or at least the charts) but the needles are still fantastic!

11 July
This hat is so awesome! I didn’t weave in the ends, but rather knotted them. If the hat was for someone else, I’d weave in the ends, but I’m not too good for knots and it’s a lot quicker, so I’ll take the easy way out this time. Now I just lack the attached i-cord, the tassels and blocking!

12 July
Muahahahaha! The hat is all done save for blocking and it is truly absurd! I am so pleased with it! I wish it weren’t July - I’d wear it all the time!

Yes, it is tall but it’s got a fantastic slouch to it. I probably could have removed one of the small patterns but I’m super-pleased with how it is.
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It’s blocking now. I WANT TO WEAR IT!

General Notes
Yarn Dominance in Fair Isle (OMG! It totally works!)
Attached I-cord for contrasting color I-cord (slightly different): k to the last stitch, slip 1, yo, pick up a st, sl 2 st over.

Yarn amounts used are based on remaining yarn, not on what actually made it into the hat. (There were 3 unused earflaps and I didn’t reuse that yarn except for in the tassels.)

Color replacements: Color A -> Cyan

Earflap Chart
Asphalt -> Orange
Cyan -> Pink
Marble -> Green
Black -> Blue
Ash -> Yellow

Spiral Chart
Black -> Blue
Delta -> Red
Sky -> Green

Dots Chart
Asphalt -> Blue
Sky -> Yellow / Green

Alpaca Chart
Black -> Blue
Ash -> Orange
Asphalt -> Pink
Delta -> Green
Marble -> Yellow

Little Alpaca Chart
Black -> Blue
Ash -> Yellow
Cyan -> Red

Coins Crown Chart
Silver -> Cyan
Sky -> Orange
Asphalt -> Blue
Delta -> Pink