I recently took a little road / hiking trip through the American Southwest. I cast this on in the car on the first day (to Roswell, NM), worked on it several nights in my tent during a 4-day, 70-mile hike on the Arizona Trail, and finally finished the day we arrived home.

Winter hiking in Arizona is nice, except the sun sets so early that we were at camp for many hours before bed every night. It was definitely nice to have a project to work on. Highly recommend something portable and stockinette like this pattern for winter hiking.

Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of it while working on the trail, but my sister was kind enough to model it when we got home.

I knit cast on 152 stitches (the Large size) and it fits my slightly large head but is maybe slightly loose if I don’t double the brim. But with the brim doubled it even fits my sister’s more normal head. It is stretchy enough that I think the Medium 144 would work for me as well, and it is what I would do if I were making this for someone whose head circumference I don’t know.

My gauge was a bit tight before blocking, and the fabric was much stiffer. Rather than a slouchie hat it looked more like something a Canaanite god might wear. But after soaking and drying the fabric is now much slouchier.

I chose the Tiger Lily sock yarn because its turquoise and rust colors remind me of the Southwest.