Derek's "nightcap"

Derek's nightcap

My secret pal hat below just arrived yesterday, but I've been meaning to blog this hat that *I* knit for a while now, as it's already been off the needles for for over two weeks. I had bought two skeins of this worsted weight Briggs & Little Regal Regal yarn in charcoal grey about a year ago, with the intention of trying my hand at making socks as a surprise for Derek some day. Well, the idea of knitting socks didn't get any more appealing as time went on, but I still wanted to knit Derek something. At first I was going to try to do it secretly, but as Christmas drew closer, I just asked him if he would like me to knit him a plain, simple hat in this nice scratchy wool, and he said yes. (He LIKES scratchy wool!) Here is the result. As goofy as it looks, that's how my "night bandit" likes to wear it to sleep, as a combination hat and mask to keep out the light. (Here's a "regular" picture of how the hat looks when worn in public.) It is a bit loose -- 100 stitches, using this pattern, yarn held double on 6 mm needles. Next time I'll make it with more negative ease to account for wool's stretchiness. Still, it's very warm and D. is delighted with it, so I call it a win!