READ and understand the concept of the pattern. Adjust as you need for your measurements. Adjust gage to get your head size with a negative ease of about 1 inch. This pattern is for the round. Rounds 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28...etc: Knit your knits and purl your purls, until you get to [k12, ssk] then decrease every round until only 8 stitches remain. Starting after round 24 maintain pattern until hat measures 4-4.5 inches. Then begin crown shaping using the [k1p1] as the end of your row. Adjust markers.
Shown with a cast-on count of 104 stitches.