Recently I was working on a site for a client which requires the use of CSS drop-down menus. The client is a video production company, so they also require the display of sample videos underneath the menu. The problem is, due to the Internet Explorer z-index bug, the drop-down menus were being hidden behind the videos in IE, although they displayed correctly in Firefox.

I'm using the excellent Superfish menu plugin, and a link on that site led me to a description of this problem and a fix. The only problem was, it didn't work. I tried all of the alternate solutions people suggested in the comments, to no avail. IE continued stubbornly displaying the videos above the dropdown menus.

Some more specific Googling led to this page, where I found the solution. Adding wmode="opaque" to the embed tag of the video, along with setting a higher z-index on the containing menu div and a lower one on the containing video div, fixed the problem. Hooray!

I made and have been using this fantastic stuff as a night cream. It's very simple but extremely effective.

Comfrey is a herb which contains allantoin, an ingredient which promotes cell renewal. It's been used for centuries to aid healing; however, it does contain ingredients which are toxic to the liver so it should not be taken internally.

Ingredients

2 TBSP raw unrefined pure shea butter
2 TBSP comfrey-infused almond oil (directions on how to infuse follow)
15 drops lavendar essential oil or similar amount of other essential oil (optional)

Put shea butter into glass bowl or jar. Heat over double boiler or inside pan filled shallowly with water over low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and stir in infused oil and essential oil. Allow to cool, stirring frequently (if you don’t stir it often the shea butter separates and forms “inclusions” in the mixture, making it liquidy and lumpy). It will take several hours to cool and harden completely.

How to infuse oil

Place dried comfrey or other herb into glass jar. Pour almond or other cosmetic oil over until covered. Place jar into top of double boiler and heat over very low heat for several hours (I usually do about 4 or 5 hours on the lowest stove burner setting). Strain oil into another glass jar and seal. Keep away from light and heat.

Yesterday I infused calendula (marigold), which is supposed to be a really good herb for skin, into avocado oil, which is fantastic stuff. Next time I make my face cream I’m going to use half that/half comfrey-almond oil and see how it works.

A friend of mine asked me what girls like in guys. To help him out, I wrote this. Keep in mind it's only one girl's perspective, although I think it would speak for most. I'm sure there are things that could be added. Girls and guys, please comment with your thoughts.

Girls like guys who are:

Respectful

Courteous, polite. Don't make dirty jokes, talk about, or stare at other women when she's around. Make it clear you are interested in her mind and spirit and her as a person, not just her body. Extend this courtesy to everyone you interact with, including waiters and other service people, not just the girl you're trying to impress. Respect her when she says “no”. Don't take things beyond where she's willing to go.

Gentlemen

This embodies a whole mindset that sees yourself as the protector and defender of women. Yes, that's old-fashioned, not feminist, and not popular, but get over it. I like this, and I think most women do too, unless they're totally wrapped up in feminist rhetoric. Practically, it works out to things like opening doors, allowing her to go first, paying for your date, helping her out with moving things, etc, etc. If a guy isn't like this, for me, he will never go beyond friend status. Even if I'm not interested in him as more than a friend, I still immensely appreciate it and he will definitely be a much better friend and closer to me.

This doesn't mean you think she is weak, incapable, unintelligent or unequal. It doesn't mean you do her thinking or decision-making for her.

Well-groomed

Shower. Wear cologne. Shave. Be neat. Cut your hair well. Use gum or breath mints. Dress nicely. It doesn't mean you have to be a high-maintenance metrosexual; that personally turns me off. But girls like it when guys make an effort to be clean, well-dressed, and physically appealing. You don't have to go over the top, just make a decent effort. It makes you nicer to be around. This isn't at the top of my list, but it's a definite plus.

Confident

This doesn't mean cocky or arrogant. It means self-possessed, not shy, confident in who you are as a person. It means you can take the risk of asking a girl out and not be devastated if she says no. It means you're willing to step forward and play the part of a man in a relationship without being intimidated or waiting for the girl to take the initiative. It means you are a well-balanced person who likes yourself, without being self-absorbed. It means you are able to take an interest in other people and not hide in your shell. You don't get obsessed or creepy about a girl; you have your own life and are self-sufficient as a person when she's not around.

Thoughtful

You remember the little touches. If a girl expresses a liking for something, you might get it for her as a gift to surprise her. You listen to what she says and remember it, especially the important things. You notice her outfit, hair, or accessories and comment positively.

Appreciative

Make it clear that you appreciate and admire her and really like being with her. Pay full attention to her when she talks. Be with her, not distracted by other things when she's around. Compliment her good qualities. Express how positive she makes you feel. Everybody likes this: it's a huge self-esteem boost.

Available

You like hanging out with her and make an effort to do so. You call her, text her, write to her, comment on her Facebook wall, whatever. You're in touch. You let her know what your plans are. I'm not talking about stalking her, I'm talking about when you're in a relationship or interested in her, you're all there. You don't hold her at arms' length and keep her guessing.

Interesting

Speaking personally, I really like guys who have a wide variety of talents and interests. I particularly like it when someone is multi-dimensional, with interests or hobbies I wouldn't expect. I like it when guys read and think about things and are constantly learning. It makes them, well, interesting. It means you have things to talk about, and you will not be short of fun things to do with a girl. Girls like it when guys can discuss things like current events, philosophy, art, music, etc. Even if they're things she isn't personally into, someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about something is attractive. It doesn't mean you have to be an expert on every subject, just have things that you like and are good at. It's a sign of a healthy and well-balanced mind.

If you have friends and are well-liked, that's a definite plus. I'm attracted to people whom other people like. It's pretty simple, if a guy has a good friend set he's been loyal to, it's a good indication of who he is as a person. He's able to make and maintain relationships.

Caring

Girls love it when guys show that they genuinely care about them. This means things like listening and listening well. Ask her questions to draw her out. Notice and pick up on any clues she might drop. Empathize with what she's expressing. Express sympathy when appropriate. Give a girl a hug or a back rub when she's feeling down.

When she's sad or upset, don't be afraid or uncomfortable, tell her to “get over it”, or just provide a solution. Don't judge or criticize, tell her she “shouldn't” be feeling that way, or imply that she's crazy, unbalanced, high-maintenance, or unreasonable.

Girls want and need to feel safe emotionally, that guys aren't “freaked out” by how they feel, and that they can be themselves even when their emotions are fragile. They need to be reassured that they won't chase you away by expressing “negative” feelings. They need to know you will reach out to them even when they're not making you feel good. They need to feel they can rely on you when things aren't going well. They need to feel that you understand, or at least try your best to understand and ask for clarification when you don't. They need to feel they have space to work out problems without being interrupted, ignored, or given a solution to shut them up. A girl may want suggestions for dealing with problems, but only when she feels she's been heard, understood, and sympathized with first.

Another way of expressing caring is to help a girl practically. Girls love it when guys fix things, move things, help them out with things. It really adds to that feeling of being “safe” and loved.

Reliable

This speaks for itself. It's a big one for me. It means you do what you say you will do, be where you say you will be when you say you will be, help when you say you will. If for some reason you absolutely can't, you do your darndest to let her know as soon as possible, come up with a backup plan, and apologize profusely. A girl can't trust a guy who proves that his word can't be counted on.

Secure and enabling

Women appreciate men who appreciate them for who they are. It means you're not jealous, controlling, needy or possessive. You like her to have other friends and interests. You don't try to dominate or monopolize her time. You support and appreciate her work, hobbies, and talents. You allow her to bloom as a person, not as an extension of yourself. You don't try to control or change her. You don't freak out if she has guy friends (I have a lot of guy friends, and I'm not going to drop them if I have a boyfriend. I'm with you, I want to be with you, so don't worry).

Communicative

Enough of the strong, silent man stereotype. I don't want a guy who represses, suppresses, ignores, or denies his emotions and thoughts. I want to understand your mind, your heart, your feelings, your goals and dreams. I want a relationship. I want someone I can talk to about the deeper things of life, the world, and what's going on inside. I want someone who faces, thinks through, and expresses his issues, hopes, temptations. I want someone who trusts me enough to open up. There's nothing like it for drawing people closer. Sex or relationship without emotional intimacy is meaningless.

Safe

This might sum everything up. Women have a need for a place that feels safe, and a man can provide that. It means that you care, you express affection openly, you can be counted on, you allow her to express her thoughts and emotions freely, you protect and defend her, provide for her, and will be there through good and bad. Obviously as a human you're fallible, and you will disappoint, but you aim for this. You're the “rock” in the relationship, as I recently heard it expressed. Put negatively, it means you don't lose your temper with her, you aren't physically or emotionally abusive or distant, you aren't moody and unpredictable.

So those are my thoughts. Anyone have anything to add to this?

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately, related to things I and a few other friends have been going through. I know my thoughts aren't original to me; they've been heavily influenced by various people, but hey, that's what good teachers are for.

We all have needs—God given, God-created, legitimate needs. Needs like love, security, significance, acceptance, happiness, purpose, fulfilment, etc, etc. In a perfect world, all of these needs would be met. We'd be living in unbroken relationship with a God who says that he IS love (1 John 4:8), and perfect, unbroken relationship with the people around us, who would also be enjoying that relationship with God.

However, that's not the way it is. We are living in a sin-ridden, broken, cruel, and horrible world where most of the time, those needs do not get met. Or are met inadequately. People endure suffering, abuse, disappointment, and harm which leaves gaping wounds and an empty soul. We're distanced from God and from each other, and often when we do connect with each other, we either wound one another or do not contribute to healing.

So the reality is that everyone is walking around with wounds and internal emptiness. We try desperately to satisfy that emptiness, distract ourselves from it, and pretend to others and ourselves that it does not exist. Most of the time, we do a pretty good job. Some of us are better at it than others. Some of us are in such a low spot that we don't bother to try to disguise the desperate hunger that consumes us from the inside.

We all use various things to try to fill that emptiness or distract ourselves from it. Some of those things are more innocent than others. Music, sports, work, relationships, hobbies, working out—all of those and more are society-approved ways to try to convince ourselves that the hollowness isn't there.

Of course, there are more harmful ways to try to escape the emptiness. Drugs, alcohol, addictive sex—you name it. Many of us have been there, or been on the edge.

All of these things are outgrowths of the human cry to replace the void that is screaming inside for fulfilment, the knowledge that things are not as they should be, that we are living in a world and in a condition that is not the way it was supposed to be.

The problem is that we have been disconnected from the God we were created for. We are living outside of loving relationship with the one who made us for himself. He's actually the only one who can fill that void. I've been deeply convinced of that recently, more so than ever before.

Of course, most of us don't believe that's our problem. But even for those of us who do, we can be living as if it wasn't true. Even as Christians, those who know God, we can be avoiding his touch, we can be reaching out to things that we think will satisfy us and meet the longings and needs that scream so desperately to be met.

A big part of the problem is pain. As someone who's gone through a lot of life hurt, I know how inner agony, the wounds of the soul, can exacerbate the demand to meet my soul's needs in ways that I think will stop the pain. Sometimes they scream so loudly that it's incredibly difficult to keep from giving in and doing something that I know will make me feel good temporarily, but will leave me with regret.

The problem is, many of these things do actually make you feel better in the meantime. (Remember, I'm not only talking about illegal or immoral things). They provide a temporary “fix” that pushes you into a high, at least for a while. It's that “high” that keeps you coming back for more, those good feelings that reinforce the desire for whatever it is you're using. The problem is, the good feelings don't last. They leave you just as empty, only with the added sting of regret and guilt. They also only increase the hunger for whatever it is you're using, chasing that temporary “fix” in the hope that this time it will last, even when you know it won't.

Sometimes this is called “addiction”. Sometimes it's called sin. Whatever you call it, it's a broken attempt in a broken world to fix what can't be denied or ignored.

Like I said, I'm convinced that only God can fill that void. And I've been crying out to him to do so. I've realized my own foolishness and weakness in my attempts to meet my needs on my own. I realize it only causes harm to me, and sometimes to the people around me. I realize it draws me away from him, my soul's only source of life.

But it's hard. It's hard when needs and pain scream so loudly that you can't hear anything else. It's hard when you know that one move can fill that void for an hour, or two hours. It's hard to keep from fooling yourself into thinking that your strategies are working.

It takes faith. It takes faith to say no, to resist that pull that feels irresistible, to cry out to God and to hold on to him in the belief that he can and will satisfy you, and that the needs that seem so insatiable won't be met by whatever you're doing. It takes faith to see the end of those things, something the apostle James describes this way:

“each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15)

Feels so good, hurts so bad. Looks so tempting, ends up so regrettable.

Another conviction that has helped me is the realization that what I want, taken my own way, in my own time, in my own strength, will only cause disaster, disappointment, and heartache. Waiting for what God wants, in his time, in his way, will be the only truly satisfying outcome. Even if that means delay in gratification, a lot of pain, and a lot of difficult turning to him and preaching the truth to myself in the meantime in the effort to say no to what I want.

After all, he's the one who has said,

“Hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:5)

and

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

I don't want to live like this, most of the time. It feels too hard. I want to give in to what I want. I can't promise I'll never slip up. But in my fight, I'm not alone. There's grace, if I want it.

It's a broken world. We are not guaranteed the absence of pain. We are not guaranteed that it will be easy. In fact, we're told it will be a fight. We're told it will be tough. We have to live with disappointment, dashed expectations, frayed hope, darkness, holding on long past the point where we thought we could, nothing working out the way we dreamed or thought it would. But in all of this, we have a Guardian in the fight. Someone we're told went through the same things we did, without giving in:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Last night I was cycling home at 12:30am. A friend staying overnight texted to let me know she was in the area and ready to come home (I didn't have a spare key for her). I pulled over to answer her text and then merrily went on my way, pedalling through a red light without a second thought. It was a T-junction and I was on the top of the T, with no cars or pedestrians in the intersection.

A few seconds later a siren blipped behind me. And then again. It took the second or third time to register in my brain, followed by the thought, "The police can't possibly be pulling me over," but the sound of the siren indicated they were, so I stopped.

A car with two young male policemen rolled up beside me. "Hi ma'am. Do you know why we're pulling you over?"

In fact I did not, and couldn't think of a possible reason. "No."

"Do you know what colour the light was you just went through?"

I looked back. The fact that the traffic light was still red clued me in.

"Oh," I said. "Sorry."

"You're a wheeled vehicle on a highway. Are you aware of the fact that bicycles have to follow the exact same rules of the road as cars do? Stop at every red light and every stop sign?"

I paused, too long for the policeman. "Are you aware of that?"

"Generally, I guess..."

"If we ticketed you, that would be a $400 fine. Can I see some ID?"

"Sure." I fumbled in my backpack for my wallet and driver's license, which I handed over.

"So this license is current. Do you drive a car much?"

"No."

"Are you aware that this is an offence which we could take points off your license for?"

At this point, the ludicrousness of the situation really hit me, but I tried to remain respectful. "No, I wasn't aware of that."

The policemen quizzed me about where I was born, my height, eye and hair colour, weight, and phone number, noting everything down. "Are you ticketing me?"

"No, but we're giving you an official caution. This is on record, and if you keep running red lights, you could lose your license."

I tried to damp down the eye-rolling response which this generated. I was pretty sure this was BS, but I wasn't about to tell the policeman so. "You can go," they finally said. "Have a good night." "You too," I said, and took off again.

It's good to know the police are working so hard to enforce the laws. However, commonsensically, everybody knows that bikes don't follow the exact same rules as cars, partly because we're not tonne-or-more speedy killing machines. A bike slipping through the top of a T-intersection where no pedestrians are crossing has about the same effect on traffic as someone walking on the sidewalk. The irony is that normally I'm fairly conscientious about stopping at reds, even on small side streets where most cyclists just breeze through.

Technically the police were correct. However, if they try to take points off my license for running reds on a bike, I'm pretty sure I can argue my way out of that one. I doubt the law actually supports that, but on the other hand, I'm not going to deliberately test that theory.

I made these cookies because I was trying to find something that my friend Heather could eat. She has multiple allergies, so it is a bit of a challenge. The cookies had to be gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, corn-free, and apple-free (that I know of). I did a search online but most recipes either had things she couldn't eat or a lot of ingredients that I didn't have.

So I decided to make some up, using only ingredients that I had on hand. The first time they turned out to be a fail, although they were delicious: I had only oats and my friend couldn't eat them because apparently sometimes there is an issue with gluten cross-contamination of oats. The second time I made them with quinoa flakes, and they were just as good and didn't cause her problems.

Here they are for the world. If you don't have a problem with gluten allergy, feel free to use regular quick-cooking oats instead of the quinoa flakes. They're yummy either way!

Ingredients

• 2 cups quinoa flakes, gluten-free oats, or rice flakes (or regular quick-cooking oats if gluten allergy isn't a problem)
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup honey powder, unrefined cane sugar, or dry sweetener of your choice
• 1/2 cup brown rice powder [something I got at the Korean supermarket, probably exactly the same as rice flour]
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together dry ingredients thoroughly. Melt coconut oil in saucepan and pour in gradually, stirring at the same time until thoroughly mixed. Mix in soy milk and vanilla extract.

Form tablespoon-size balls of dough and place them on greased baking sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes or until done (mine were slightly browned on the bottom, starting to crack on the outside but still moist on the inside). Remove from oven and place on racks to cool. Enjoy!

Makes about 40 cookies.

The timing of this is funny because it's so close to Valentine's Day, but I didn't plan that. I have been reading 1 John and I was deeply struck by one particular thought from chapter 4.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

God's intrinsic character and nature is love. In fact, it is impossible to say that we know him if we do not love. If we know him, and have been "born of" him as his children, we will demonstrate the character of our Father: love. God's love was demonstrated most fully in sending his Son Jesus to become a sacrifice for our sins. This is the kind of self-giving love that we are to demonstrate to one another (1 John 3:16).

But what struck me the most was that last sentence. "No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

I was blown away by this. No one has ever physically seen God. But we experience him when we love one another. When we share the love that he has put into us, the love that comes from him and is part of his very nature, his presence is there with us. It's actually him loving others through us and loving us through them! He demonstrated his love for us once and for all by sending Jesus to die for our sins. But we can experience his love on an ongoing basis when we love and are loved by other Christians.

If that's true, then how important is love? It's the most important thing, and that's something we're told throughout the New Testament. It's the "new commandment" Jesus gave us: "just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another" (John 13:34). It is to be the distinguishing mark of Jesus' disciples (John 13:35).

Jesus, and John, weren't talking about any old love. They weren't talking about romantic love, or even the affection friends or family have for each other. They are talking about a love that comes only from God, that is only possible if we have been "born of" him, that has Jesus as its model and is possible only by his Spirit living in us.

But if we have that, then the challenge to us is to love. I was personally very convicted by this to seek to love my brothers and sisters more, to ask for God's grace to love the people I don't like, and to show this kind of love to people who don't know God.

I don't know about you, but the times I've experienced God's love most fully have most often been when a Spirit-filled lover of God has demonstrated his love to me. When I've despaired and believed that I've fallen out of his favour, someone has come along to speak words of life to me and show me that he still cares and that I'm still his. I first began to believe in God's love because some of his followers showed me his love. I want to be able to be that person for somebody else.

A few weeks ago I returned to cycling for the first time after my accident. I have to admit to a good deal more caution than I exercised before. It's made me slow down. Obey the rules of the road more stringently. Stop more. Signal turns. Always wear my helmet. Never assume anything. Ring my bell.

So in that sense, it's a good thing. I'm thankful that a broken elbow was all that resulted. If it took that to make me a more careful cyclist, then I guess it was worth it.

It made me realize how much I appreciate the sense of freedom cycling gives me. How I can go anywhere in the city, anytime, without relying on public transit. During my weeks of broken-elbowness, I realized how much I dislike being crowded into subway cars and buses with so many, often rude, other human beings. Cycling makes me feel like I own my transportation.

I'm just a lot more careful about it. That's how wisdom is learned, I guess.

I thought this soup should exist if it didn't, so I created it. It's warming and satisfying, the perfect winter soup. It's suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Makes approximately 10 cups soup.

• One medium-large butternut squash
• 1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced fine
• 5 cups water
• 1 TBSP powdered vegetable bouillon, or 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 2 400ml (14 fl oz) cans coconut milk
• 2 TBSP curry powder
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat oven to 400° F (200° C). Place butternut squash on a baking sheet and pierce the skin in several places with a fork. Bake for approximately 30 min, or until skin begins to brown, blister and wrinkle.
2. Remove squash from oven and allow to cool. Peel off skin (skin should come off easily, if it doesn't bake it for a bit longer). Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard core with seeds. Cut the remainder into 1/2" cubes.
3. Place squash and minced ginger in a stockpot; add 5 cups water and vegetable bouillon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until it begins to break down into a soupy consistency.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cover. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until squash breaks down and any remaining cubes are easily mashed with a fork. Use food processor or blender to puree into a smooth, creamy consistency.

Hatticus is a giant cabled hat topped with a small peak and finished with a huge pom-pom. It's very fun and warm, and a super-quick knit (probably a 2-hour project).

I've never really written a pattern before, so if something's unclear or you have corrections, please feel free to contact me here or drop me a message on Ravelry.

Materials:

• About 80 yards super-bulky yarn, such as Cascade Magnum or Garnstudio Polaris (my hat took just under 80 yards and exactly 160grams of Magnum)
• 10mm (US 15) 40cm (16") circular needle and 10mm double-pointed needles
• OR longer 10mm circular for magic loop, if you prefer
• Cable needle (or you can use one of your DPNs, as I did)
• Stitch marker (or loop of scrap yarn, if you don't have stitch markers big enough for these needles)
• Tapestry needle with a large eye

Gauge:

2 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch

Abbreviations:

• CO = cast on
• k = knit
• p = purl
• kfb = knit into the front and back of the next stitch
• [Alternate increase method] PLL: Insert left needle into left loop of stitch two rows below last completed stitch. Purl this stitch through the back loop.
• [Alternate increase method] PRL: insert right needle into right loop of stitch just below next stitch; place it onto left needle and purl it; then knit the stitch on needle.
• See knittinghelp.com for video instructions on these increases, where they're called KLL and KRL.
• C6F = slip next 3 stitches to cable needle [or DPN] and hold to front of work. Knit next 3 stitches. Slip stitches from cable needle back to left working needle and knit them. [This is a tight cable with yarn and needles this size, but it's possible—just knit loosely].
• p2tog = purl two together
• k2tog = knit two together
• DPNs = double-pointed needles
• ssk = slip next two stitches knitwise to right needle, then knit them both together through the back of the loop

Directions:

CO 36 stitches to circular needle. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of the round.

Knit 9 rounds in garter stitch (knit 1 round, purl 1 round, repeat) beginning with a knit round and ending with a purl round.

Round 10: *KFB. K2. KFB. P2. Repeat from * to end of round. You now have 48 stitches. [Alternately, how I actually did the increases: K6. PLL. PRL. If you find these increases too confusing or difficult, just stick with the first method].
Rounds 11-12: *K6. P2. Repeat from * to end of round.

Round 13: *C6F. P2. Repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 14-20: *K6. P2. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 21: *C6F. P2. Repeat from * to end of round.

Rounds 22-28: Same as rounds 14-21.

Rounds 29-31: *K6. P2. Repeat from * to end of round.

Round 32: *K6. P2tog. Repeat from * to end of round. 42 stitches.

Rounds 33-35: *K6. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 36: *C6F. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.

Begin crown decreases:

Round 37: *K2. K2tog. K2. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 38: *K2. K2tog. K1. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 39: *K1. K2tog. K1. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 40: (you may want to switch to DPNs at this point if you haven't already done so) *K1. K2tog. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 41: *SSK. P1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 42: K2tog 6 times. You will have 6 stitches left on your needles.

Cut your yarn, leaving about a 12" tail. Thread it through the remaining stitches and pull it tight, but don't weave it in just yet. You'll use this to attach your pom-pom.

Make pom-pom

Here's a good tutorial on how to make a pom-pom without cardboard or other accessories. To make mine, I wrapped the yarn around four fingers 36 times. If you haven't made a pom-pom before, practice with some waste yarn to make sure you get it right before diving in on your nice yummy hat yarn.

Next, thread the yarn tail from the top of the hat through the yarn wrapped around the pompom. Thread it through to the inside of the hat, pull tightly, and weave it in securely, making sure you go diagonally in at least one direction (the pom-pom is heavy and will pull on this yarn, loosening it up).

Wear your hat and enjoy!