ERRATA

The reason I give specific instructions for moving stitches around in the HEAD section is to enable to face-opening to be directly in the middle of the front flap, and not to break the patterning of the main fabric as you start knitting in the flap pattern.

The rib round ends above one of the flap splits, so stop there.

The 32 stitches I direct you to put on a holder are the face opening, which must be above the centre of the front flap. In order to keep the pattern correct around the whole of the head rows (and these are now rows and not rounds), I instruct you to move the last 18 stitches just knitted in the double rib back on to the left hand needle, and then start the rows for the head from that point ie knit in pattern those 18 stitches, the 68 stitches of the back, and another 18 on the front again up to the front opening. 18 + 68 + 18 = 104.

However, you have spotted a genuine error in the next part. I believe this is where I have written the length to knit in pattern - 12.5 - in cm rather than inches. Because as you say, it’s only slightly longer than the flap itself and that is 5” which is indeed 12.5” I would actually suggest knitting the flap pattern for 6” here, and then following instructions for the crown and finishing.

Do remember that I was trying to keep as close to the original pattern as possible, while trying to make it easily legible for modern knitters.