Mrs. Micawber, also known as Sue Perez, designed this skinny crochet scarf. I was charmed by the delicate design with its hint of spring. As Sue Perez described in Mr. Micawber’s Recipe for Success, “Its twisting chains remind me of green beans clustered on the vine, and the flowers interspersed are of course the bean blossoms.”

You can tie a single scarf around your neck. Another option would be to pick different-coloured scarves and wear them together, similar to layering necklaces or chains. Tap into your imagination and use a bean blossom scarf as a hair accessory, such as a ponytail tie, or as a handbag scarf to add a pop of colour and pattern.

How should a bucket hat be worn? Position it above the eyebrows and ears with the brim framing the face. The fit should be comfortable, that is, snug but not too tight. One or two fingers slid between the hat and the head is usually a good test. If you like an asymmetrical look, you can tilt the hat slightly forward or to one side.

My latest bucket hats were crocheted with a yarn that is a blend of wool and cotton. The brims of these bucket hats can be left floppy or shaped and molded. The cotton in the yarn helps hold the shape of the brim if it is rolled up or rounded towards the crown.

Although most everyone can wear a bucket hat well, here are some tips to rock yours. Choose a hat shape that suits your face shape and hairstyle. For example, if you have a square or angular face, the rounded rolled-up brim will soften the angles. A long face will benefit from a floppy rather than an upward-curving brim. Whether you have long or short hair, let your curls, waves, bangs, beard and hair texture be as big a part of the frame for your face as the hat. Experiment and embrace the bucket hat as a functional, versatile and stylish accessory.

I had several balls of different coloured merino wool in my stash. It was straight forward for me to crochet a child’s hat in periwinkle and an adult version in grey. I liked how the pattern of crosses separated by a row of single crochet stitches was defined in the mono-coloured merino.

I was up for a bit of experimentation and decided to make multi-coloured hats. I turned to paint chips from my local hardware store to mix and match before starting out. Pairing colours of different hue but similar saturation was the most pleasing to my eye. I chose simple patterns of half-double or double crochet to let colour be the main attraction.

The combination of highly saturated colours creates feelings of high energy and intensity. While the blue yarn is mostly merino wool, it contains 30% mulberry silk which gives the hat a shimmery quality, adding to the hat’s eye-catching appeal.

In contrast, the pastel colours in this infant hat evoke feelings of calm, softness and spring. The baby blue, mauve and pale yellow colours, reminiscent of an Easter egg, are grounded by a neutral grey.

Craftivism was coined by Betty Greer in 2003 as a word to represent a place where craft meets social activism. The mindfulness and time required to knit, crochet, embroider or quilt a piece reflect the need to think deeply and thoughtfully about social injustices. Craftivism is a visual form of non-confrontational protest that aims to spark conversation and bring awareness to issues such as human rights, gender equality and climate change. In 2017, the “Pussyhat Project” had a powerful global impact as millions of women, men and children marched in solidarity for women’s rights, all wearing pink handmade hats. Now in 2026, the “Melt the Ice” hat is a symbol of resistance and protest against U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE).

Coco’s story in her own words:

When I was 19, I learned how to knit wool pants to show my boyfriend how much I cared about him. That’s when I started knitting. After I finished one pair of pants, I just couldn’t stop knitting another and then another one. In the end, I amazingly realized that knitting not only represented my love, but also relaxed me and brought me an incredible sense of satisfaction. Life is filled with miracles.

After many years, I met a handsome Canadian man when I was in China. Instead of knitting pants for the lucky guy, I chose to marry him. Therefore, I moved to Canada and settled down in Vancouver.

Fortunately, I met a great lady who tutored me to improve my English in this lovely city. A few years later, she became a very important friend in my life. She decided to crochet hats as her new hobby, and I started modelling them. Her wonderful crocheting inspired me to take up knitting again, so now I am knee-deep in knitting scarfs.

Lucky me, I received a ball of cornflower alpaca wool from a friend. Knowing that alpaca wool has a tendency to stretch and lose its shape when crocheted, I chose a pattern for a fitted hat. I am going to take special care with this Fisherman Beanie designed by Pukapuka. When not wearing it, I’ll be sure to store it flat in a drawer.

Bouclé yarn gives a hat a textural feel with its curls or loops. This Fisherman’s hat worn by Coco is made from a bouclé that is composed of a core acrylic yarn with wool loops. Due to the loops, the yarn calls for a simple pattern as stitch definition is poor. The main beauty of bouclé is in its cozy shearling-like look and feel.

A customer requested a crocheted beret in the jewel tone of teal, her favourite colour. Teal is named after a bird, the Eurasian Teal, which has a rich deep blue-green stripe on its head. Candace knew exactly what she wanted and I had one ball of yarn remaining in my stash of yarn, fortunately enough to complete the project in time for winter. Warm and stylish!

Q: Why did the egg wear such a fancy hat?

A: She was going to an Eggstravagansa and wanted to look eggsquisite.

May your holidays be full of warmth and cheer!

Coco and I have met so many people at holiday craft markets. We love the moments when we fit someone with a hat that suits them so perfectly that it feels like it was made for them. We enjoy meeting not only new people, but also the loyal customers who return year after year to see what’s new in the world of Hats by Tracy J. We appreciate our supportive friends and family that come by to say hello. Thank you!

Hats by Tracy J will be a vendor at one more Winter Craft Market this season. Hope to see you at the North Lonsdale United Church on Saturday, November 29th, 10AM-3PM.

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.

“Hats by Tracy J” will be participating in a number of craft markets this holiday season. Please come by and see what I have been crocheting and sewing, from the classic to the contemporary. I would be delighted to help you pick something to top off your personal style.

Holiday Markets

Made in the 604 Pop-Up Market: Saturday & Sunday, November 1st-2nd, 2025, 11AM-5PM, Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C,

Dunbar Holiday Market: Saturday, November 22nd, 2025, 10AM-5PM, Dunbar Community Centre, 4747 Dunbar Street, Vancouver, B.C.

NLUC Winter Craft Market: Saturday, November 29th, 2025, 10AM-3PM, North Lonsdale United Church, 3380 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C.