I got too impatient to finish the old-fashioned long stocking cap I envisioned so this hat became Smurf-sized. The stitch pattern is based on Sugar Stick Ribbing from Mary Thomas, though the decrease is a ktog instead of an ssk, which creates a more subtle slant. It would look great as a real stocking cap: just keep going till you get sick of it, then follow the crown-shaping portion of the pattern.