It's been a cold blustery winter in Indiana this year.... hmmmm..... that reminds me of Pooh bear and the Blustery Day. And can I just say again that I LOVE Pooh bear!?
(Believe it or not, I scanned this from a book I have had since my childhood!)
But I wasn't going to talk about Pooh bear today. I brought up the cold blustery winter because it is again, one of those days here. The wind is blowing the dusting of snow around, whipping down the chimney of the fireplace causing the doors to open and close, and bringing our friend "Wendy the Cow" for a visit.
Hmm... I think that may need a little explanation, so allow me to go off on a little side road for a minute.
You see, in the 14 years that we've lived in this house, every time the wind really blows, the seal around one of the doors makes this funny noise that almost sounds like a cow mooing. When it first happened, the kids (who were very young at that time) came running up to me, all scared, because they thought some monster was in the house. I appeased them by telling them that it was just Wendy the Cow that was coming for a visit.
And she continues to come every time we have a blustery day.
I think this started when I was searching for a hat to wear for the drama I was in this December. Or maybe it really started with the hat I made for the Pumpkins and Spice book. No matter when it began, I have been trying to find a hat for myself this winter. One that looks okay on me with my small head and short hair, without making me look like a little boy.
So, I started messing around with some felted wool, using a picture of a hat I found online as a guide. And what follows is a recounting of my trials (and errors) in finally coming up with a hat (or two) that I like. I do have to tell you that I had to dig two of these out of the trash to take the pictures..... and understand that I usually don't use my favorite fabrics when trying to design something like this, so they may not be the best looking!
The first thing was trying to get the top shaped right. My first attempt ended up being wrong and a bit "bulbous".
It didn't look too bad just sitting on the table, but when I put it on my head, the center collapsed down and the sides bulged and poofed out way too much. So, threw that one in the corner, and moved on to attempt number 2.
This one I actually completed. And it's okay. But it is more "manly" than I wanted. Could be because of the color (what?! I wasn't going to use my hand-dyed wools, so I just used one that I bought off the bolt!), but the more I looked at it, I decided that it needed a band going around it so that it didn't look so much like a baseball cap. So, on to attempt number 3.
I was back to the mis-shaped top, which was also too short, and the band was too small, making the whole hat look more like a beret before putting it on my head. AFTER putting it on my head, though, it looked more like a puffy pill-box sort of thing, and quite hilarious! This one ended up in the trash!
Hmmm.... maybe this just wasn't meant to be.
But, I don't give up THAT easily. So I tried another.
Now, this one I liked! Kind of fun (see, I even finished it off with a wool flower!?) yet there was still something about it that bothered me. It fits very close to my head, more like a baseball cap, so I wanted to try making it with a softer, more feminine feel on the top. This is where I found it simply amazing that just by changing the angle or curve of the top pieces a tiny bit caused such a dramatic difference....
See how it has a different feel to the top portion? I thought that this one looked better on me, but both my husband and son still liked the gray one better. So, off I went again, for another try....
I changed the angle a bit more on the top, shortened the brim, and I think I almost got it! So far, this was my favorite, but of course, I had to try just one more a few days later, because you know I can't just leave things well enough alone. Didn't you read my last post?!
There were a few things I still didn't like about this hat, and I'm not telling you what they are in case I decide later that I like it better than this latest one......
But, I'd love to hear what you think!
Which is your favorite? And why?
You may not ever think about it, there are so many things to consider with hats..... Is it too stiff? Or should it be soft and floppy? Does it come down far enough so that my ears don't stick out? Or do I want it to perch on the top of my head? And how tight should it be? Tight enough so that it stays on for a blustery day?!
And I think the biggest question for me is....
What do I do with all these hats now?!?!
