Love stripes but tired of horizontal and even vertical stripes? Try the swirl.

The Oscar Hat uses double stranding to create swirling bias-leaning stripes from the brim to the pompom. Because double stranding makes a tighter fabric than normal stockinette, the hat increases stitches between the brim and hat proper both to get room in the hat and some puffiness in the top.

This hat fits loosely around the brim and then closely throughout the hat, puffing back out at the top for a cool, hip fit. Jackpot.

Note: Until today (9/26/12), there was an error in the introduction section of the pattern, which states that you use a k2p2 repeat during the hat. It should read a 2CC, 2MC stockinette repeat instead. I have corrected that in the pattern for download.