December 2007
Stopping by The Wellness Community on 7 December, I dropped off some
more of the extra-thick cap and scarf combos, as well as a few more
light-up-the-darkness combos. Our first snow was this week, over two
inches in my area, so warmer caps might be welcome.
There's now a lovely mirror for trying on the caps. The basket will
soon be mounted under it, to hold those that don't fit on the rack. As
you can see, my production appears to be outstripping the current
demand! Maybe their holiday party this weekend will encourage
some wearers to step forward and claim a snuggly topper.
A note from someone who is wearing hats I crocheted led me to her blog,
where she mentions that "the bright colors always make me smile."
That's my reaction too, and guides my choice of yarns for the caps. On the post where she goes public, the cap she's wearing is one I crocheted.
A final batch of the year was ready Christmas Day, including a new
floppy-brimmed design with a yellow "daisy." While I started out
with a pattern from a craft store's company site,
I ended up completely reworking the pattern. First, the yarn called for
by the pattern is no longer available. Of course the substitute yarn I
picked out worked up in a completely different gauge. Second, the
pattern instructions work the crown from the bottom, back and forth,
leaving a seam in need of sewing. Forget that! I know how to make
a hat crown without seams, from the top down. So, many calculations and
measurements later, I had a crown that was close enough (I think) to
the right size and shape. The brim then followed on smoothly, rather
than being worked into the starting row. That results in a less
distinct transition, but I count that an advantage, making it more
adjustable to the needs of the wearer. Finally, I worked the flower
pattern as written - but the yellow yarn definitely was not the same
weight. Nevertheless, I like how it turned out - and I've now written out my version of the pattern. I have enough of the
blue yarn for two or three more hats, but I'll make the flower
different on each one.
Note the coordinating scarves for three of the caps. It was
a great way to use up the last of the yarn, both because I was getting
a bit tired of it and because there are now plenty of
caps in this style to choose from. I modeled the final cap and scarf, for the
record. This scarf turned out to be so long, I've doubled it over for
the picture, so the blue ends show.
The next day, on my way to drop off the caps and scarves at The Wellness Community, I stopped at the post office. And there to my wondering eye did appear...the wall sign to hang by the caps!
This gorgeous design, by Michael Noyes,
arrived ensconced in a lovely mat and frame. I'll post a photo of it
"on location" at The Wellness Community as soon as I get one. If this
sign doesn't encourage more wearers, I do not know what will!
Previous: November 2007
Next: February 2008
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©2007-2008 N. J. Taber
Last updated: 10 Feb 2008