Bas-relief Skull Hat

When my fiance asked me to knit a skull and crossbones hat, in the watchman's cap style, we sat down and looked at lots of pics on the 'net of hat patterns.  None really suited.  So then I figured I'm make something up.  It's pretty simple to make a hat in this shape... but what kind of skull pattern?  Then we came across a neat idea here:
http://nattyknitter.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/free-knit-patterns-coming-soon/
where the skull and crossbones are picked out in texture- knit, purl- rather than color.  That's groovy!

So the following pattern is the result of my experiment.  Thank you natty knitter for a neat idea.
Now, I'm not 100% happy with how the skull came out.  It was a small surface area to work in, though in hindsight I had a little more room than anticipated.  If I do it again, I will make the skull over a slightly larger area to make it look better.  He loves his hat as it is!  So I can't complain too much.

To make:
Materials:
Paton's Classic Wool, black (worsted weight)
US 6 DPNs
Crochet hook/ tapestry needle

Pattern:
CO 90 sts.  Join in the round- don't twist!
Knit in 1X1 rib pattern for 1.5 inches. 
Knit two rows in stockinette stitch.
The pattern is over 28 sts and roughly 4 inches.  I put all 28 sts on one needle to ease the pattern making, so I could see it better and not lose count.
Start pattern (I will post it soon, I have to put it onto the 'puter).

After the pattern is complete, keep going in stockinette stitch until the whole piece is 6.5 inches long.
To decrease:
1: *ssk, k12, k2tog, k2  *repeat to end (80)
2, 3: k
4: *ssk, k10, k2tog, k2 *repeat to end (70)
5,6: k
7: *ssk, k8, k2tog, k2 *repeat to end (60)
8,9: k
10: *ssk, k6, k2tog, k2 *repeat to end (50)
11, 12: k
13: *ssk, k4, k2tog, k2 *repeat to end (40)
14, 15: k
16: *ssk, k2, k2tog, k2 *repeat to end (30)
17: k
18: *ssk, k2tog, k2 *repeat to end (20)
19: k
20: *ssk, k2tog *repeat to end (10)

Pull through remaining sts and weave ends in on WS with crochet hook.