The hat was designed last year as a dare on facebook.  The first few ones I made were good, but had problems.  The spines flopped.  The yarn hung out the underside. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't.

I hated this hat.  But it is so eye catching (it is the one that was featured on etsy's facebook page), I felt I couldn't let it go.  However, there have been a lot of tears shed over this pattern. I would get a sinking feeling whenever it was ordered and its been ordered a lot. 

But then it was the making of hats over and over and over where I found improvements...ways to structure the spines, a new pentagon pattern, a way of hiding the stray threads and it came together. Man, I used to hate making that hat because it always went wrong.  But making it over and over has ironed out the kinks and now its pretty straightforward, dare I say, almost fool proof. 

I think that is why I don't really see myself moving into only designing in the longer term.  I like the making things.  Maybe its too many years in the public sector that means I crave having something concrete to show for my efforts, not only just words on paper. I also like seeing how patterns evolve and making things that really work, both for the 'look' of them, but also as a maker myself.

But words on paper are precisely what I have here...with the testers having tested and having made a fair few myself, I am proud to release the pattern for sale on etsy here and on ravelry here.

Edited to say: the name idea was not mine, but a fantastic suggestion from an onlne friend who also named the hat being released on Friday.