I have had a wonderful offer from someone to knit me a hat. I'm looking at a simple pull on the head type beanie with two knit layers (inside and out) like the North Face Shinsky (http://www.rei.com/product/819575/the-north-face-shinsky-beanie-hat). Because of the two layers,the hat is reversable, and warmer than a single layer, I think. Some questions: 1) Does anyone have a pattern they would recommend? The knitter in question is quite skilled, so level of difficulty should not be an issue. 2) We were thinking of a baby alpaca blended with merino yarn for the warmth and soft feel. Is this a reasonable choice? Are here other blends you would recommend instead? 3) Are there other designs that you might recommend? I'm looking for a hat that can be worn both during the day and for sleep, and my head often gets cold late at night or early in the morning. Thanks,
Jim

Hey there.
You are welcome to put your friend in touch with me if you'd like.
Baby Alpaca and Merino is a good blend. The Merino helps keep the stretch. I would think about hand washing versus machine washing. There are more choices available in hand washable yarns.
As far as patterns, once you know the weight of the yarn, from lace weight ( lots of work/ super thin) , to sport, DK, worsted, Aran, bulky etc. I can send you the appropriate pattern. But I have a feeling that once you pick the yarn, your friend will have no problem generating her own pattern.