For my third iteration of this hat I decided to knit the brim without any increase/decrease a bit longer than the second version. I also reduced the size of the decorative band between the brim and hat body – it consists of 2 rows of garter stitch twice with 2 rows of stockinette in between. I also switched yarn to Malabrigo Silky Merino in Smoke, which shows the pattern off beautifully and has a wonderful feel.

I really like how the subtle changes from the last hat made this version feel more appropriate for both men and women. I think I will do one more iteration on this hat to make the brim just a bit longer and remove the decorative garter stitch rows. The pattern in the hat body are distorting the top garter stitch row a bit and I’d rather it be more streamlined. I think I’ll get some more of this yarn for the last version.

I really liked the way the first hat turned out, but I wanted to try another version with a shorter brim and a transitional element between the doubled over brim and the body of the hat. While I like seeing more of the pattern in the hat, I think I would have preferred not including the increases in the doubled over brim section. Its short enough that it doesn’t really need any flare. This one is also a bit longer, which I think will work better for people with long or thick hair.

I may try one more version with one last modification somewhere in-between on the brim before writing out the pattern. I really enjoy the subtle pattern of the hat – its a departure from the really textural stitches I usually pick.