I wanted to knit a hat for my dad, in a simple, classic rib, but with a twist. Huge heads run in my family, so I went with a super elastic cast on so it could fit heads from about an eight year old child, to a head that has it’s own weather system. (I have been reliably informed that the hat also fits a 10 month old baby, but alas, no pictures!).

The hat has been test knitted, and tried on a range of head sizes. It is unisex, and the length can be easily adjusted to suit. You might want a short hat to fit snugly under a hard hat, or long so you can cover your long hair.

Vanitas is a snuggly soft mix of Alpaca and Merino, with the fluffiness and drape of the alpaca and the spring and bounce of merino. If substituting for another yarn, consider going up a needle size to get a pleasing fabric, or stay tuned for the second version of this pattern, “A Hat for Who Two”, written for Outlaw Nyx, a slightly loftier yarn.

And the name? Ever since my nephew first mis-pronounced “Grandad”, my dad has been known as “Gonad”. Not the best name for a pattern. At the same time, my son was discovering the world of Dr Who, and decided that the colour was close enough to Tardis blue for naming purposes. “A Hat for Who” was born.