As we’ll spend Christmas in a very cold area, I looked for a head-neck warming system as warm as a balaclava, but more flexible. I chose Purl Soho’s Pivot Cowl for the neck and a matching hat.
The hat is my own creation: I knitted a head band in garter stitch (10cm x a bit less than the head circumference). I picked up one stitch per ridge on one of the sides and knitted 3-4cm stockinette. As the number of stitches was not a multiple of 8, a first decrease round arranged that. Having now 8 groups with an equal number of stitches, I made one decrease at the end of every group every two rounds, until 8 stitches remained. I cut the yarn and passed it through the 8 stitches.
I gave a nice finish to both the cowl and the hat by attaching an i-cord. The i-cord for the hat is knitted with a second strand: glass fiber, for better visibility in the dark.