Ear Flap Hat - South American Chullo 

(adapted from Ear Flap Hat at:  http://knitting.about.com/library/blearflaphat.htm)

There is a great knitting pattern for an ear flap hat on the knitting.about.com website:  http://knitting.about.com/library/blearflaphat.htm  

My sister brought back several knitted hats with ear flaps, called chullos, from her South American trip.  I combined the first pattern with the chullo pattern and created this hat pattern.

Pattern is for ladies medium, 84 sts, and men's large is in brackets (90 sts).  

Most of my hats have been made of White Buffalo Pure Virgin Wool, using only 2 of the 6 strands (a lot of work to unroll, separate, and re-roll the ball of wool though...).    White Buffalo wool has been discontinued but there are other types of wool that are very similar. 

Another good one is merino wool, and each strand is a bit thinner than 2 strands of the White Buffalo, so the hat will be slightly smaller.  

Gauge:  a 4" X 4" square is 16 sts X 28 rows.

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Ear Flaps:

Using two size 3 3/4 mm dpns, cast on 4 stitches.

Knit one row, then purl one row.

Row 1: K1, M1, knit to last stitch, M1, K1

Row 2: Purl

Repeat rows 1-2, until Row 1 ends with 20 stitches on the needle.

Purl one row.

Keep it on the needles and using the other pair of dpns, make an identical ear flap.
Now you have two ear flaps on the needles.

Hat:

Take a circular size 3 3/4 mm needle and cast on 6 (8) stitches.

Take one of the ear flaps (make sure that the stockinette stitch, the right side, faces you) and knit the stitches from the dpn, onto the circular needle adding them to the cast on stitches.

At the end of the ear flap, cast on 32 (34) stitches.

Again, take the other ear flap (make sure that the stockinette, right side, faces you), and knit the stitches from the dpn onto the circular needle.

At the end of this ear flap, cast on the final 6 (8) stitches.

You should have 84 (90) stitches total:

• 6 (8) stitches,
• 20 (20) stitch ear flap,
• 32 (34) stitches for the front of the cap,
• another 20 (20) stitch ear flap, and
• a final 6 (8) stitches.

Join and mark the center or beginning of the round. (There should be 6 (8) stitches before the marker on either side, before the ear flaps.)  

1. If using thicker wool, knit one round. 
2. If using thinner wool, knit one round; then purl 6 (8), knit 20 (20), purl 32 (34), knit 20 (20), purl 6 (8).

Continue knitting in stockinette st, until the hat measures 6" (6 1/2"). (Measure from the 32 (34) stitches, the front of the hat, between the earflaps to the needles.)   Knit any pattern within the 6" (6 1/2").   

Begin the hat decreases:

* Knit 12 (13) stitches, knit 2 together, place marker **

Repeat * to ** all the way around.

You should be decreasing 6 stitches per round. At some point you will have to replace the circular needle with dpns. Stop when there are 6 stitches left.

Break yarn and using a tapestry needle, run the length through the remaining stitches, closing it off.

Braids: 

For a medium-thick braid, use 4 strands of yarn for each braid, each 26" long.  Using a tapestry needle, pull each strand through one of the 4 stitches you cast on at the bottom of the ear flap.  (There are now 8 strands, 13" long.)  Braid and finish by tying off.  Braid is around 7 1/2", tassel 2".  Even off tassel with scissors.  Repeat for other braid.