The super-bulky merino wool of this beanie will keep your head warm where winters can be long and cold, like on the Canadian Shield. I chose the colour and heavy herringbone texture to represent the angled forks of conifer tree branches.
Rock, waterways and forest make up the Canadian Shield, a vast geological formation of approximately two million squares miles. Tectonic shifts, erosion and glaciers formed the characteristic exposed ancient bedrock, rolling hills and thousands of lakes. Boreal forests are supported despite just a thin layer of soil over bedrock. Granite and gneiss are the most common rocks seen in the Canadian Shield. They are not one colour but spotted or banded with light and dark stripes, some shiny and some dull.
This seed-stitch beanie was crocheted with a yarn from Newfoundland, 85% merino wool and 15% donegal neps. Donegal neps are small knots of fibre spun into yarn to give a tweed-like, three-dimensional texture. The neps reminded me of granite with its flecks and specks of mixed minerals. This specific beanie can be worn as a slouch hat or cuffed as shown.
The Canadian Shield is a region of remote wilderness that supports a wide variety of birds, mammals and fish. Many have adapted to survive the harsh winters and environment. Perhaps the most iconic animal of the Canadian Shield is the beaver with its thick, water-repellent fur, ever-growing incisor teeth and flat, broad paddle-shaped tail.
Soft and plush, this beaver-brown bucket hat is made of cotton velvet and decorated with a vintage button.
Hats by Tracy J 