I made quite a few improvements to the original Santa Helmet pattern. The mods are as follows:

• Knitted the brim and joined short ends together to form a loop. Picked up stitches along one side with red yarn and joined in the round. Continued knitting the red hat in the round.

• Made the pom pom much larger than the original. I think it looks better when it’s oversized. This one isn’t really a mod but an accident. I made the beard far too wide and had to sew pleats along the top edge to make it fit under the visor. The bottom half of the beard is much wider than the helmet and is loose.

• Instead of sewing on non-slip mat stuff under the brim, I used regular household silicone and almost emptied it all on the brim and beard. I think it’s stickier than the non-slip mat thingamagic.