Triple Thick Thursday

Some people are more challenging than others are when it comes to giving gifts. My stepdad is like that. He tells people to just forget about getting him anything, but that seems wrong, especially when I know of something he will like and use. Several years ago, I knit a hat for him. It was a plain, black, superwash wool hat. It bore a great resemblance to cheap, black hats that can be purchased anywhere. However, it was what he wanted, he liked it, and he has worn it often. Since wearing the handknit wool hat, he now knows the difference, and appreciates how it keeps him warm without making him sweaty. The problem is that he has several of the cheap, black, acrylic hats from the store, and is pathologically unable to get rid of anything. He keeps grabbing one of the bad hats, and then remarks how it is not as good as his wool hat. I figure the solution is knitting another hat for him, but not black.
Right now, he is in Afghanistan. He was back for a couple of weeks in October, and it was clear that he was skimping on his cold-weather clothing. I would hate for his frugality to hurt him when there is something I can do to help, so I decided to knit a hat for him. I tried to be sensitive to the fact that he prefers boring plain, so I chose some calm blue, and instead of a colorwork pattern, (which really adds warmth) I knit with three strands of yarn at once. This ought to keep Papa warm this winter in Afghanistan.