I’ve made the Traci hat again (here’s the first post) and I changed it a bit to make it really sturdy and hold its shape. I really tightened up my tension, dc’d into the space below each stitch, changed row 12 to all front-post dc, changed row 14 to a work even hdc, finished by slip-stiching all the way around. Can be worn two ways: with fpdc showing, the hat is more of a structured brim hat. With fpdc inside, the hat is more loose, turned-down, and casual.
…then my little boy wants one too! “I want a green crochet hat, mommy! and I want earflaps like daddy’s!” So, a completely wing-it design. I used Lion Brand Homespun, and the main color is Florida Keys Green with stripes in Praire and Windsor. I added fringe with all three colors to the top and ends of earflaps. I fluffed out the yarn plys to make it all look fuzzy. The entire hat is in dc, except for where I attached the earflaps, that is hdc.
Well, I finally did something with that yarn described in this previous post. My husband wanted a hat: a manly-man hat with earflaps and a camo kind of look. Yes, I know we are from Florida, but we do visit colder places at times!
I used mostly the hat pattern in the Interweave Knits 2004 Crochet issue (yup, I’ve heard of other people getting their credit card numbers stolen via this publishing company, so beware ordering online from them! I was no exception…I got a call one day confirming the order of an iPod–which I had NOT ordered.) I wanted the look of a rolled brim hat without the bulkiness. So I added a border of front-post stitch, then alternated front post and back post to create a cabled look, then another border of just front-post. I added the earflaps after this point (earflap width was 19 stiches, I hook). I then did a little chain to hold the toggle to pull the earflaps back by going back over the chain with slip stitches.
Here’s the result:
…how to knit! I’m not sure what I think of it just yet. Seems weird to catch yarn without hooks. But it was fun to learn a new skill, and I’ll continue to practice. I’ll even go so far as to admit that this yarn looks better in garter stitch than double crochet.
I got my order from the Earth Guild. I received about 4 oz. each of cleaned and carded undyed domestic and Australian wool top by post yesterday (well, I thought starting with learning how to do the washing and carding was a bit much). Plus I got a drop spindle. The Earth Guild kindly does telephone orders–none of this new-fangled internet ordering for them! They like to advise you as you’re ordering–I quite liked it.
I started spinning some last night. What fun! So self-sufficient.
I dream of getting to know the people at the alpaca farm a couple of streets over…
