Arctic Trapper Hat

It got really cold here a few weeks ago and my big kid needed a new winter hat.  I bought the Arctic Trapper Hat pattern from see kate sew to make Christmas gifts for his cousins and, when I asked the big kid to try his cousin's hat on, he, naturally, asked me to make one for him as well.  

I made his cousin's hat using an army green twill and a sherpa fleece lining.  The same fabrics as in the little guy's winter coat, actually. I quickly discovered that using something thick like a sherpa fleece for the lining definitely requires sizing up the pattern.  I made the first hat using the 7/8 size and it was much too small for my big kid.    I even tried it on my little guy, who just turned two, and it was snug on him as well.  So that hat will be for their baby cousin.   Because 7/8 is the biggest size on the pattern, I had to size it up myself.  I basically added about an 1/8 of an inch to each side at each of the four seams that make up the circumference of the hat.  The second hat fit the big kid much better and then he wanted his own.  

He decided he wanted the outside part of his to be yellow.  For the inside part I gave him the choice of the same sherpa fleece, or a minky fabric I had.  He chose the minky because it is softer.

I sized it up the same as the last one and this one actually fits looser - I guess because the minky is not as thick as the sherpa.  The big kid likes it that way though.  He actually loves this hat so much that he wears it in the house and has even worn it to bed!  And I love the pattern because it comes together quickly and is so cool looking!  I actually made the three hats all in one day.

This past weekend I made a fourth hat for the kids' girl cousin in a pink twill with the sherpa lining. I'll have to share pictures of the cousin's hats later - maybe after Christmas when I can get a picture of them all wearing their hats.  

The only change I made to the pattern, other than sizing it up, was that instead of making both pieces of the front flap from the outer fabric, I made the front of the front flap from the lining fabric and the back of the front flap from the outer fabric.