Made the following changes:

• I added 6 extra stitches (54 sts total) and used a very stretchy cast-on: the most elastic cast-on. This seems to be a variation on Jenny’s stretchy cast-on.

• Keeping the inside of the pattern as the outside I did k2, p1 for the first 8 rows, then P2, K1 for the main body of the hat.

• For a more feminine look I knitted
  three rows in pattern, then P2, K1,
  P1, P2tog through back loop, YO, etc
  every other row. Then in pattern. I did a total of 12 YO row repeats for a slouchy look (total of 27 rows after the 8 rows of P2, K1).

• In Row 9 I did k2tog across the row. I had 9 sts left and pulled the yarn through the stitches to close the hat.