Tag Archives: Hat - Page 2

Tilt Topper

Posted by on May 6, 2011 13 comments

I could wear this hat everyday <3

Project Path for this hat:

  • While thrifting, find and fall in love with fantastic 40′s era reproduction dress
  • Decide it needs a hat to go with it (this should surprise no one)
  • Troll through Etsy’s vintage hats
  • Find inspiration photo
  • Find knitting pattern (Deb’s Derby) for jumping off point
  • Raid stash for wool yarn (Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool)
  • Form a rough plan (slightly smaller around, shorter crown, short rows for asymmetrical brim) and just start knitting
  • Felt and shape on styrofoam head block
  • Embellish with black grosgrain ribbon and felt swallow cutout
  • Put it on and never want to take it off

Swallow detail

Detail shot of the felt swallow bird cutout, I really love how it turned out. I wanted a less formal, more day wear look for this and thus no extravagant flowers or feathers. I really like the simplicity.

Vintage inspired 30s/40s tilt topper hat

For my first run at it, I am so stoked with how close to the original inspiration photo this turned out. This is my first time working with Fisherman’s Wool and I have to say it felts beautifully. I may even prefer it to my usual Patons Classic Wool Merino, sadly it has limited colors.

New hat to go with my "new" thrifted dress

This was a fun, very organic process- although really I probably should have written down my notes/changes to try other variations. You never remember as much as you think you will. But where’s the fun with no experimentation?

Pattern mods added after the jump >>

Read more »

A Little Hat For Me

Posted by on May 2, 2011 1 comment

I am finally finally getting some proper pictures up of this little pillbox hat I made! Seriously it’s been done for months and I’ve worn it several times but just keep forgetting photos (having too much fun I suppose, hee).

DIY vinyl pillbox hat

It’s a “real” hat created using millinery techniques, no knitting whatsoever. I got this wonderful book, “From the Neck Up; an Illustrated Guide to Hatmaking” by Denise Dreher and I used what I learned from that to make it. However I didn’t use traditional materials and went a more DIY/budget way.

DIY hat

First, I adore this covering “fabric”. I scored this great polka-dot printed vinyl as a remnant piece. Since it isn’t easily sewn I simply hot glued it to the hat frame. Now I actually had taken in progress photos of this but after searching everywhere I cannot find them. Sadly they must have been deleted. I really wanted to show what I used for the frame, instead of traditional buckram I used my old friend plastic mesh canvas!

You can even buy it in pre-cut circles which is what I used for the top. I then cut a strip for the sides and whip stitched the whole thing together.

Fully lined and hat band inside

The underside, fully lined with a proper hat/headsize band and bobby pins attached for wearing. The lining material is salvaged too from a thrifted skirt I’m cutting up for another project.
All in all total cost of this hat was probably around $2.

Puppy always has to get into my shots!

Wearing it here with my newly thrifted dress and t-strap shoes. <3

From a "Retro Christmas" party

And one more shot with a veil attached (borrowed from this top hat I made) at a “Retro Christmas Party” we went to back in December. (Can you tell I have a thing for polka-dots?)

Fail

Posted by on February 3, 2011 10 comments

Well once I found tatting needles that work with yarn, this inevitable attempt was obvious. Of course I had to combine tatting and knitting, and for what else? A hat.

I had this idea of an open lacework slightly slouchy hat with an attached brim in ribbing. So I searched different doily patterns as a starting point and chose this one. I improvised an extra row to make it larger and hoped once blocked it’d be sufficient size.

Blocking
It looks pretty blocking no?

I then calculated the number of ribbing stitches I’d need and how to space them out when casting on and picking up along the hat edge.

um, don't think soThen I tried it on once it was all done. Yeah, not quite the vision I had.

The outer row of tatting is too open and while it looks OK while laying flat, with the attached knitting it gets pulled out of shape. I think it looks like crown points or something, bleh.

Although I didn’t mind if it was fairly open (summer hats are more useful in Texas) it’s not nearly substantial enough for my liking. Plus it could be bigger/slouchier. I do think it has some potential though. Unfortunately tatting is not as easy to undo as knitting but if I cut out the last round, rework it tighter and add another round then redo the knitting it may still work. We shall see.

Has some potential to be pretty

FO: Jenny Cloche

Posted by on January 20, 2011 3 comments

First Finished Object of 2011. Another quick hat that was perfect to do on a recent plane trip.

Jenny Cloche

The pattern is Jenny Cloche by Julia Madill. I’d found this great vintage broach at a thrift store awhile back and thought it’d be perfect on this. Unfortunately I think my yarn (Wool-ease Thick & Quick) is slightly too bulky gauge-wise. The hat is a bit on the large size and so thick I feel it makes my head look a little big? Maybe it’s just me. I did rip and redo with the ribbed band decreased by 4 sts after seeing how big it was turning out.
Although it does rather have a vintage turban feel to it as well.

Love my vintage broach

I had briefly thought about frogging it, but I think I’ll keep it. It’s definitely nice and warm around the ears, very functional.
(And I need an excuse to use that pin right?)

Pattern: Jenny Cloche by Julia Madill
Yarn: 1 skein Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Light Medium Blue #106

Needles: US 11 (8.0 mm)
Mods: Cast-on 4 less sts.

Customization

Posted by on January 15, 2011 2 comments

A while back I made another modified version of my Devra pattern for my friend who the original was designed for. She had wanted an extra slouchy version as well. Whether it was the additional weight of the bigger hat, or I’d just knit this 3rd version more relaxed than the others, it resulted in a bit looser gauge. While it still fit fine, it could’ve been denser, thus more snug and warm.

Ribbed lining added to Devra 2

After my friend had mentioned this I started thinking about a solution. We know knitters quickly come to understand the phrase “Necessity is the mother of invention.” When it occurred to me that instead of a folded over brim on the outside like a traditional hat, I could add a ribbed “lining” brim on the inside instead, huzzah! I picked up stitches along the inside edge and worked a 1×1 rib and bound off, problem solved.

Extra slouchy Devra with longer brim

Where’s the benefit of knowing a knitter if you can’t get custom stuff right?

Mini Fedora

Posted by on September 27, 2010 3 comments

New mini hat!

Mini fedora hat love

A miniature fedora to be exact. I just love making these, so quick and fantastic to wear. Thus when I saw this pattern I couldn’t resist casting-on right away. The free pattern, Mini Felted Fascinator Hats by Chris Wass, has variations for the Fedora, a Bowler and a Yarmulke/Kippah or Fasinator Base.

This was knit with some leftover Lion Brand Lion Wool Solids in #132 Lemongrass, a fantastic funky green. It didn’t seem to create as smooth of a felt as my usual Patons Classic Wool Merino but I think that may be due to non-optimal needle size for this yarn. It did hold it’s felted shape well however.

Attached some turquoise feathers, a hair clip underneath and this was ready to wear for the Oktoberfest here!

who needs more mini hats? I do!

A Little Different Dose

Posted by on September 16, 2010 2 comments

So apparently I can’t even leave my own patterns alone.

Latest headpiece- a slightly modified version of my Dose Pillbox pattern.

Dose, slightly modified

Skull and starburst needle felting detailOne of the fun things with shaped hats like this is the smallest variations can really alter the look of the piece.

This version is about half the height of the original with an extra repeat for the width. I wanted a more casual version and to play with simple needle-felting for the embellishment. What to felt? Skulls of course!

Worked in Patons Classic Wool Merino like my others. I love this stuff, felts beautifully. I’ve also found if you really work on smoothing the felt while it’s still wet/damp onto whatever you’re using to block it on, it really polishes out the finished texture.

now with skullies!

The original pattern can be purchased here.

Mr. PieKnits surprised me the other day with this awesome new retro purse! How I love it so and it’s goes so perfectly with my new hat I just had to share.

Shiny new purse!

Chunky Newsboy Hat 2

Posted by on January 8, 2010 1 comment

Now that all the holidays are over I’m finally getting back into the regular swing of things. That also means I can post Christmas gift knitting!

Chunky Newsboy Hat #2

I made another version of the Chunky Newsboy Hat pattern for my friend. It’s such a cute quick knit. To change it up a little I did a few columns of twisted stitches to create sections. It’s rather subtle and doesn’t show well in the photographs but was simple to add. I think if I make another I might add some 1×1 cables.
I also lengthened the brim widthwise as my last one came out a little narrower than a traditional brim. Although I think I was also knitting really tight for it as well.
My other mod was to again use the knit/purl variation of the long tail cast-on as I detailed in that post.

Rockin' the Ukulele

Here’s a shot of my lovely friend wearing it on Christmas (and rocking out on a ukulele!) :)

[Who now has an awesome photography blog, check it out! tmuir-artofobservation.blogspot.com]

Pattern: Chunky Newsboy Cap (Ravelry link) by Diane Serviss of Earthly Fae
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, Light Medium Blue #106
Needles: US size 13 (9 mm) and US size 8 (5 mm)
Mods: Twisted stitch every 8 sts, brim 4 sts longer, cast-on in knit/purl long-tail method

And just for fun, Aejaz playing in the exceedingly rare Dallas Christmas Eve snow we got (first in 80 years).

Aejaz, chasing snow pebbles - Click to see enlargement, including tongue sticking out

He’d dive into the snow and chase the scattering balls of it and eat them. We laughed like crazy.

New Pattern – Dose, Felted Pillbox

Posted by on October 23, 2009 5 comments

There is hardly a more fabulous accessory than a vintage style hat.

Dose Felted Pillbox Cocktail Hat

Nothing transforms an outfit like a great hat can. I think they’re such fun pieces which is probably why I can’t seem to stop making them. This pillbox hat is not full size, so it’s more a type of cocktail hat that sits tilted on the head.

Embellishments- so much fun!

From understated to extravagantly embellished, the decorations can endlessly vary the look. Make two from one skein and adorn completely differently!
 
Dose PillBox

The pillbox shape for hats has been around literally thousands of years but was more recently made popular in the mid-20th century. This classic shape is easy to wear and won’t mess up your hair.

The instant download rundown -after payment via Paypal you will be given a link to download the pattern. This link will also be emailed to you and will expire in 120 hours. For any questions about the pattern or whole download process please shoot me an email me at- jen@pieknits.com!

Pattern previewPattern: Dose -  Felted Pillbox Cocktail Hat
Gauge: 12 sts and 16 rows = 4″ in St st before felting
Needle sizes: Size 11 (8 mm): 16″ circular (cir) and set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino (100% merino wool; 223 yds [204 meters] per 100g): 00226 Black, 1 ball (approx. 1/2 for 1 hat)
Skill level: Beginner-Intermediate (working in the round with small number of sts, short rows, single crochet used)
Price: $3.75
Format: PDF instant download pattern

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Devra 2.5

Posted by on October 13, 2009 4 comments

My lovely friend Mel, who I designed the first Devra hat for, was definitely one of the most enthusiastic recipients of a hand knit I’ve made. So when she requested another version in a darker color, slouchy style, with a little longer brim to switch up with her other one, I was only too happy to comply!
Thus what I’m dubbing “Devra 2.5″, heh.

Extra slouchy Devra with longer brim

The yarn, Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends, has come out with some new lovely colors and this one is a near black (color: Stone) which I thought lets the cables show through nicely. I did an extra repeat on my slouch version (Devra 2) to make it “extra slouchy” as she has such amazingly thick hair that the original was more “slightly loose” that full bodied. On me it looks close to a dread tam (can’t really see all of it here), which I like just as much actually.

Wire reinforced edge

On the original design I kept the brim short as I think it’s cute but also because while plastic mesh canvas (wonderful cheap stuff) works well as a brim stiffener it isn’t the most shapable material on its own. It can tend to come out rather flat, which is more noticeable on a larger bill. Again I took some inspiration from my dabbling into millinery and wire reinforced the edge. It turned out simple to do. I wish I had done this for all my past hats! Take any gauge wire that’s easy enough to shape and form it to the outside edge of your canvas. Then using a thread and needle whip stitch it into place. Doesn’t have to be perfect, you won’t see it once it’s inside the knitting. Now it’s easy to form into a shape that’s to your liking.