Oh dear, this does look bad. But it’s not a baby hat, and I had already decided to knit it AGES ago. Honest!
DS1 is a huge fan of Manchester United. So when I saw this pattern appear on Ravelry, I showed him it and he was practically leaping around the room at the thought of having a special Man U hat, how could I refuse to knit him one? Seriously, getting any sort of enthusiasm from an 11 year old about anything is rare, so I need to make the most of it. I thought I’d be safe from teenage apathy for a couple of years at least. 
The pattern is designed by Tori, who also designed the beautiful Hippocampus mittens that were in the Winter ’08 issue of The Inside Loop (and I will knit them one day, I will!) She’s designed a range of football club hats to raise funds for a new football ground in Lillehammer, which they clearly need from the photos, so if you know any Man U/Liverpool/AC Milan/Barcelona/Juventus supporters who might need their heads warming, then here is a good place to start looking for patterns. 
I’m using the yarn specified in the pattern. It’s Dalegarn Falk, 100% wool and machine washable (my heart sang at that point because you really don’t want to know what happens to small boys’ hats over the course of a winter and I don’t think a gentle soak in some Eucalan would cut it) bought from Dragon Yarns and feels really nice. Will be interesting to see how it blooms after washing.
But I’m saving this to start at the beginning of August. I want to get as much knitting done before October, anyway – even winter hats! – but Mr B is off for a gentle stroll some serious walking with the small people and some of his work colleagues in the Cotswolds for the weekend. So I am tagging along and planning to spend the day sitting on a comfy chair with my knitting and a regular supply of tea and food while they’re off sweating. 
So this should keep me occupied for the day! We’re staying here, so it’s not exactly roughing it.
