March 31: While at my favorite LYS tonight, a non-knitter neighbor to the shop came in asking if the hats on display were for sale as she was looking for a hat to give as a gift to a friend starting chemotherapy. When the shop owner said they are not for sale, the woman started to leave when the owner then said we would be happy to make something for her friend if she would leave her name/number.
The non-knitter neighbor was thrilled and while writing her info down was questioned on her friends style and color preferences.
As this is a pattern I’ve been interested in trying, I offered to make it and another person is making Ysolda’s Ripley in a teal blue. Both should be great gifts for her friend while she goes thru a tough time
After surveying multiple friends/family member’s head sizes, I blocked the hat and made the ribbon band to fit a 21 1/2” head. Here’s to hoping that works for the hat’s soon-to-be owner.
April 2: Just need a ribbon to finish it up
April 5: Ribbon band added and just need to take back into the yarn shop :)

If I were to make a second….
here’s my thoughts on what I’d do differently if making it again…
use a lace weight, possibly in a contrasting color, for the turned under brim hem. even in the fingering weight yarn, the doubled brim plus the then triple folded pleats seemed really clunky. bringing that interior layer down to a skinnier yarn would help for sure. You’d have to knit until a specific length before swapping to the main yarn and folding under, but easy enough to figure out the bring length based on the main yarn’s gauge. I think I also might make the brim a few rows deeper. IIRC, the pattern called for 14 rows (maybe it was 17 rows) an it seemed it should be just a smidge longer.
Many people’s project notes suggested doing a provisional cast on instead of the long-tail and then later needing to pick up those cast on stitches. it wasn’t horrible to pick them up, but a provisional might make it a little easier/quicker. I could go either way on this.
The depth of the hat on me seemed a little too much - and think I’d start the crown decreases a 1/2” sooner.
I also felt the main body of the hat was a little thin and a slightly thicker yarn at the same gauge would make a more solid feeling hat - since it is a more tailored type style I think that would be a little better. Some other’s project notes commented that after completing the hat, they went back and picked up the stitches at the brim (the orig cast-on where it was folded up and incorporated into the main body of the hat) and knit a liner to give it more structure. This would probably serve the same purpose as using a thicker yarn but more knitting.