Since I come from Lions country, I will pretend that these are not Packers colors. This is a Fiber Trends pattern: “School Colors Hat AC-53” by Betsy Lee McCarthy. It just so happened that my young friend chose these two colors. This is easy care Berroco Vintage worsted, a 50% acrylic, 10% nylon, 40% wool mix, in holly and sunny.

The cap has a cute double roll brim construction and a crown that forms nicely around the head. No pointy top here.

The next two hats are the two versions of Jumping Jacks by Anne Russell. My copy of the pattern is included in “Kids Knitted Hats” by Leisure Arts. The pattern is excellently set out. I especially like that the charts are super-sized. The only error was that the hat didn’t need 10 ounces (918 yards) of yarn to knit. No surprise on that one. It actually took about 185 yards. This is the larger Jumping Jacks, with extra bands of perrie that lengthen the hat. It’s knit in electric bue and sunny Berroco Vintage Worsted. It was supposed to be sized for a 4-7 year old.

I checked gauge first, and all I can say is I must have goofed. The 4 year old this was supposed to fit would fit into this hat when he’s 18 or so. I really like it, though, and have claimed it for my own.

Jumping Jacks was a special request, so I made it a second time and this version fits the planned recipient perfectly.

I knit the small version, which leaves out the perrie motifs. My modifications, mostly to accommodate that I was running out of sunny, were: (1) change to 3-color (adding in Vintage in some fennel leftovers), (2) add the fennel (green) purl ridges above and below the jumping jacks, and (3) add two rows of blue above and below the jumping jacks, to increase the depth of the hat.

As for my inspiration on these hats? This little guy chose the patterns and the colors and yarns he wanted. All that was left to me was the knitting!