Overdue FO Post: Hat 1

In 2008 my old tutor group were approaching the end of their compulsory schooling. They'd joined the school a year after me and I'd been their tutor all the way through. When one of them jokingly suggested I knit them all hats for their last Christmas, I thought that sounded like a good idea. I was a much slower knitter then but I managed it, even though the very sullen girl who had been moved to my group at the start of Y11 and never came to tutor time decided to come in on that last day of term and I didn't have a hat for her. I knitted her one with a skull on it and posted it home to her over the holidays. It would have been too small, but she never said anything.

Now it's 2014 and my new batch are almost there. I feel very old. I loved my old tutor group to bits but they were extremely hard work; in contrast this one is very easy and pleasant. Thus, I thought I had better continue to hat tradition and this is the first one - the Suzi.

Pattern: Sweet by Amanda Lilley (free pattern from the Cascade website)
Yarn: Sirdar Big Softie, about a ball and a half...the shade is Blinging Blue, which I maintain is a royal blue but which Mr Z claims is purple.
Needle: 9mm
Mods: Using the 9mm needle. It was snug on me; better after a good blocking but I should go for the 10mm for the next one. It is not blocked in this (terrible) picture.

Most of them have requested beanies; I hope this is the sort of thing they mean. It is a nice pattern: the cabling keeps the interest up. I am also hoping to knit most of them out of Softie. I completed this one in the space of three episodes of Game of Thrones, about three weeks ago now. No knitting has taken place this week; the combo of doing the exam board work and being a head of department has put pay to that.

Now I need to find, as recommended to me by someone (Jenny?), a small child who loves making pom poms. They all want pom poms, of course. Sigh.