Saturday 21 September 2019

The Weekend Project That Took A Whole Week


 This is the story of a very quick and easy project which could have been quicker without my tinkering!

It is rare to find times when the ebb and flow of busy schedules between friends align but one Friday in August was one of those times.  My friend Adrienne and I grabbed the chance to spend a quiet evening of crochet, cuppas and catch-ups together while our teens were out partying.

I ditched my current fiddly project for something different, simple and quick.  Perhaps I could  make a hat in one evening?  There's been a book hanging around the house called Crocheted Beanies, (part of the Twenty to Make series) tantalising me with its projects; the only stumbling block: me!

Because I'd been so busy with so many things, I hadn't had energy to seek the yarn from the stash or put  my mind to anything new until other jobs were complete; but a hat would be the perfect quick project, and a crafty evening with Adrienne the perfect motivation to make a start towards my goal to work my way through all twenty patterns in the book.

The book by German designer Frauke Kiedaisch was a fabulous find from a local second-hand shop earlier this year. The book's price label was still on the back: AU$11.99 picked up for a steal at only AU$0.20!  It is in excellent new condition with lovely designs.

The designs are in various weights and modern styles. There is something there to suit everyone and even if there were only one good pattern out of them all, 20 cents is great value.

My choice: "Filet Fun" a mesh beanie with a straight band and embellished with an appliquéd flower.
Recommended yarn: 100 grams Schachenmayr SMC Alpaca (100% alpaca) or similar DK.
My yarn choice: Moda Vera Marvel Soft 8 ply (100% acrylic) from the stash.

The hat structure is a small medallion at the crown from which mesh loops are created and then worked in a spiral for the body of the hat. Then a smaller hook is chosen for the band which is worked in dc (USA sc).

Recommended hooks:
Body of hat: 5 mm (UK 6, US H/8)
Band: 4 mm (UK 8, US G/6)

... and this is where a quick project took a turn!

At the fourth round, the mesh was ruffling around the medallion. Of course, that was the desired result but I couldn't be sure because I was using a different yarn.  The 5 mm hook felt very large and my mesh seemed to be more open than the look in the photograph.

Version One: I changed to the 4.5 mm hook on the additional premise that I do have a small head and standard hats are often too large for me.  Perhaps moving down a hook size would remedy that.

Off I chuffed, making speedy progress through rounds 1‒22 to finish the body of the hat. Along the way, I noted that the simple combinations of 3-ch spaces and dc stitches made it very easy to watch the cricket, tennis and Tour de France on the television with barely a glance at the crochet going on in my hands.

Up to the band already? There now. How will that fit? 
I now had a hat that fitted my head comfortably but it wasn't as slouchy a fit as the photograph in the book.  Perhaps it was also a little short and will remain short even with the band. 

I pondered. 

Would it be a good child-size?
More pondering.

I didn't really want to undo all that work just yet. It was not a complete disaster or anything. A learning opportunity. That's what it was.  That will teach me to tinker with the pattern recommendations.  I found the other end of the skein and started again.

Two attempts at the hat, experimenting with hook size:
Version 1 (right) – 4.5 mm (red-handle)
Version 2 (left) – 5.0 mm (blue-handle)


Version Two:  trust in the 5 mm hook for the body of the hat. Yes, it ruffled even more but the drape was slouchier and softer. The size was a little bigger but not significantly bigger. The length would cover ears better.

Change to a smaller size for the band. The pattern asked for a 4 mm hook but in my absent-mindedness, I got started with the 4.5 mm hook instead however I liked the tension so kept going. What's the worst that can happen?  Re-doing it with the 4 mm?  After three rounds, I tried it on and the band felt just right.

Yes, I am pleased with the 4.5 mm hook for the band even though the pattern recommended 4 mm. The latter would probably be too tight.

The 4 mm hook was the perfect size for the flower. I'm very impressed with the flower design–only 2 rounds for a finished diameter 9 cm / 3½ inches.
Super quick and easy!

At the beginning, the initial slip knot was made leaving a long loose end (approximately 45 cm / 18 in) for sewing the flower onto the hat after blocking it to shape.  (More information about the benefits of blocking flowers can be found here: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2015/06/poppies-shaping-up.html)

The original plan was to use a metallic sewing thread together the with long tail while sewing up to add a bit of sparkle to the centre of the flower.  Unfortunately, I was not able to do the final stitching for a few weeks and by the time the conditions were right for sewing, I had completely forgotten about the sparkly plan!  That put an end to the dilemma of whether to use gold or silver thread (what would you choose?) and it really doesn't matter. What is important is this:

At last, I have a purple hat to wear with my Belcarra Cardigan!

Finished Dimensions

Crown to hem: 19 cm  (7½ inches)
Band circumference: 45‒54 cm (18‒21¼ in)

The pattern is designed for a head circumference of 54‒56 cm (21¼‒22 in).

Pattern Details

Filet Fun hat featured on the book cover,
designed by Frauke Kiedaisch.
"Filet Fun" by Frauke Kiedaisch, Twenty to Make: Crocheted Beanies, pp 38-39, Twenty to Make [series], Search Press, Tunbridge Wells, Great Britain 2013.

Original Edition published in German as Be Beanie!, frechverlag GmbH, www.frech.de [redirects to www.topp-kreative.de, July 2019], Stuttgart, Germany 2012.

Also published as "Gold Beanie" in Crochet Gifts for Christmas, Knit Now magazine, edited by Hugh Metcalf, Practical Publishing Group, Stockport, UK, September 2013: https://www.knitnowmag.co.uk/2013/09/11/crochet-gifts-for-xmas/
Yarn recommendation: Schachenmayr SMC Alpaka Premium (DK)100 m / 50 g worked together with Anchor Artiste Metallic Fine (thread) 250 m / 25 g


Other Links


Schachenmayr: https://schachenmayr.com/en

Related Posts on Lupey Loops


"Bizzy Beez", 8 July 2019: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2019/07/bizzy-beez.html

"Going Out for a Crochet Night In", 11 June 2015: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2015/06/going-out-for-crochet-night-in.html

"Geocrochet!", 24 April 2014: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2014/04/geocrochet.html

"Poppies Shaping Up", 4 June 2015: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2015/06/poppies-shaping-up.html

"Blocking for the Edge", 7 March 2017: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2017/03/blocking-for-edge.html

"Blocking Belcarra Cardigan", 16 October 2014: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2014/10/blocking-belcarra-cardigan.html

"Better Than a Bought One", 26 March 2015: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com/2015/03/better-than-bought-one.html

19 comments:

  1. That is a beautiful make, love the colour of the yarn and the stunning embellishment. Perfect for the season, we are going into Autumn.

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    1. Thank you Lorraine, Autumn is my favourite season but I reckon this hat is great for every season! ;-)

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  2. Always chuffed to receive a mention. My top is on hold as I work on a baby blanket for a friend, but I'm hoping to have it finished for summer.
    Why am I not surprised at your deep consideration of every choice and aspect of this 'quick'project.maybe after the second or third iteration it would take you a weekend. ;)

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    1. Haha, Adrienne!
      Summer is not far away - you must be almost finished your top then? I'm eager to see it on you. I plan to make another of these hats with natural fibres to compare the results. A 'Show & Tell' is a great excuse to catch up again. ;-)

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  3. Congrats on following through and finishing. I've only ever made baby hats for donation so have no idea if they fit any heads or not. :) The yarn you chose is a really nice color. Good luck with the other projects. .20 for the book was definitely a steal.

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    1. Thanks Tammy, yes, it can be a challenge to get things finished. As John Lennon sang, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Twenty cents for all that entertainment and learning is excellent value.

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  4. I think you did an amazing job on the hats, figuring all the sizing and such. But best was a night with a crochet friend to talk and connect.

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    1. Indeed, Meredith, indeed. Adrienne and I are very busy people and we don't live as close to one another as we used to. Travel and time can be tricky so any time we spend together is treasured very much.
      Connections with friends and like-minded peers are important for our wellbeing. I am grateful for the support and friendship of so many lovely people in my life both in person and online. x

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  5. Beautiful hat whether a day or a week it is all worth it.

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    1. Definitely worth it, Mary-Anne. It doesn't matter how big or small, even the simplest projects offer something new to learn or discover. After the multitude and variety of projects that you get through in a year, you would have a formidable body of knowledge and skill in yarncrafts! x

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  6. Amazing job on your hats, dear! I love colors you've chosen and the beautiful embellishment. Thanks so much for your visit to my blog and your kind comment. Have a great new week ahead! 💕 🍃🌸🍃

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  7. This is a beautiful hat, nice and warm for the winter.
    Best regards, Irma

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    1. Thank you Irma! I am looking forward to trying some of the other hats in the book. Do you have a favourite winter hat?

      Dank U wel Irma. Ik wil graag enkele van de andere hoeden maken ook. Heeft U een favoriete hoed voor de winter?

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  8. I'm so behind with my blog reading, Jodie, but finally made it to catch up on your news and admire the pretty hat. I hope you are well and enjoying spring. Are you following the rugby?
    Amalia
    xo

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    Replies
    1. Hi Amalia,

      That makes two of us who are behind on blog reading (and replying in my case). I did read your comment when you posted it and remember writing a reply but for some reason it didn't published - one of those internet mysteries (shrug).

      Spring brought many demands and challenges so it wasn't enjoyable; rather, I'm relieved to have survived it.

      In relation to the rugby, I hadn't been watching much of the international rugby but watched the Australian domestic rugby league (NRL - National Rugby League)Grand Final. It was a very exciting game with controversial umpiring. It was entertaining and 'had a bit of everything'.

      Which sports do you follow, Amalia. I'm looking forward to the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. It will be excellent to have the games in the right timezone to watch it live at a decent hour of the day. Think of all the crochet one can do!

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  9. Jodie, your hat turned out fantastically! I have made maybe like 5 hats all my life - sadly I don't wear them, although my children do, so those 5 were for them :)
    The flowers is such an adorable addition!

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    1. Why do you not wear hats? I am wondering how to combine your jewellery making with millinery. Especially when it comes to headbands, fascinators and fasteners, there is a fine line between these different types of accessories. You have sparked my creative fire Maya!

      Apologies for the late reply. I have been away. Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts so I can get to know you and also know that you have visited. :-)

      In future, I will try not to leave it so long between posts and replies.

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  10. Beautiful hat! Keep up the good work.

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    1. Dank U wel. Bent U een computer programmer of een boekverkoper (of een mutsenmaakster)?

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