Branching Out

I did a little sewing this Sunday and did it ever feel good. I made the hat out of two wool coats I felted a few weeks ago. As luck would have it, I just happened to have the perfect fleece to line it with. This hat was actually my second attempt. My first try just fits my three year-old daughter's head. I'm glad I used a sweater that didn't felt quite right for that one.

I like the hat, but I love that little zipper flower. I made it into a pin so I (or whoever ends up with it) can take it off. And, of course, I had to make a pair of mittens to go with it - because I am all about mittens these days. I've committed to having 20 pair ready to sell by Mother's Day weekend. These look a little wonky in the photo, but they turned out great.

I wasn't sure how the mittens made with coat wool would turn out; most of the mittens I've made have been out of felted sweaters. There are so many women making mittens these days that there aren't as many sweaters available as there use to be. Plus they are getting more expensive. Branching out into coats and blazers (the leaves on that flower pin are from a felted wool blazer) has allowed me to get wool in colors and patterns I couldn't find in sweaters. And I just couldn't resist that fuzzy blue plaid!

The pattern for the hat is easy. I know that I am a math teacher, so easy for me isn't easy for everyone, but believe me it's a piece of cake.

I used a 7.5 inch diameter circle for the top and a 23.5 X 8 inch rectangle for the sides. If your head is bigger or smaller just adjust the size of the circle and rectangle accordingly. For an 8.5 inch diameter circle use a 26.75 inch rectangle, or for a 6.5 inch circle use a 20.5 inch rectangle. If you want to use a different size circle for the top, just remember the length of the rectangle you need to cut = the diameter of the circular top of the hat multiplied by 3.14. If you'd like more detailed directions on how to sew the hat, let me know. I can probably post them later this week.