Cassady's Hat with Do-Over

Cass at http://shutupimcounting.wordpress.com/2007/12/16/a-normal-blog-post/ posted a hat that she had created. So I had to copy it...
I cast on 38 stitches on size 15 needles using 4 strands of Caron Simply Soft - 2 in colour Off White - 1 in colour Truffle - and 1 in colour Heather Grey - so that's a big fat yarn that gives a sort of tweedy effect when knit.

I just knit in stockinette stitch for 5 rows and then increased one stitch at each end and continued in stockinette stitch for 33 rows. I also added some little duplicate stitch flecks of colour - just randomly spaced over the cap...
Then I cast off and seamed up the back...
I crocheted a chain of 30 stitches and attached that to the front corner of the hat - then single crocheted around the bottom edge of the hat and then chained 30 - turned and single crocheted back across the back of the hat and down to the end of the first chain.
Then I tried it on and I wasn't happy with it at all - it was just too boxy and didn't 'hug' the nape of my neck like I need it to when it's 40 below zero...

So I frogged back all of the single crochet and about 6 rows of stockinette and re-knit with short rows as follows.
purl 34 turn
slip one and knit 27 and turn
slip one and purl 23 and turn
slip one and knit 19 and turn
slip one and purl 15 and turn
slip one and knit to the end and then cast off.
Finish as before with single crochet trim. Add tassels.

The finished hat...

a better view of the taper...

It hugs my neck and face quite nicely and should be nice and warm as thick as it is...

I also snipped out the little flecks of colour - I didn't like them as well as I first thought...