Alike Yet Different

After crocheting many, many hats, I have become adept at changing the size, look and feel of a hat made from the same basic pattern. When I find a style that I like, I think about variations along a similar theme. For instance, to make a child’s or baby’s version, I experiment by adjusting the number of stitches to fit different width of heads and decreasing rows to reduce the height of a hat. Embellishments like pompoms, bear ears, flowers and buttons can amp up the playful factor or add a unique element.

I have crocheted another two hats, alike yet different. One has a button that fastens asymmetrically. The other is a cuffed beanie or fisherman beanie with a shorter length designed to fit high on the head and sit just above the ears.

In the two hats pictured above and below, the long or spike crochet stitch adds a decorative element to the body of the hats. While the main stitch is the same, each hat has a distinct look and hand touch. This is because the yarns are of different colour combinations, fibre sources and weights. Likewise, a brim, a cuff, ribbing or border stitch separates one hat from another.