Pompoms today make a fashion statement, but they have a long history of being more than decorative. Over the centuries, they have been used to distinguish regiment, rank, and role in military, naval and clerical settings. French sailors added them to their hats to prevent them from knocking their heads on low ceilings in rough waters. The word “pompom” is believed to have originated and been anglicized from the French “pompon” which means ornamental tuft or bobble.

Modern wearers of hats with pompoms include children and winter sports enthusiasts. If you’re out in the cold and wearing mittens, you can just tug on the pompom to remove your hat.

The pompom as a decorative element seems to be a matter of personal taste if you’re an adult. There are those who adore the addition of a pompom on a hat and those who find them frivolous. The pompom trending now is large and fluffy and typically made from yarn or from real or faux fur.

Blue jeans are staples of most fall wardrobes, but cords might be another of your go-to choices. Denim and corduroy are also great fabrics for hats. Both are durable and primarily made from cotton, but differ in their look and hand feel.

The manufacturing processes of denim and corduroy gives each its classic look. The “twill weave” is commonly seen in blue jeans. Warp yarns (vertical yarns) are dyed with indigo and weft yarns (horizontal yarns) are left undyed. Twill is made by offsetting rows of weft yarns woven over and under warp yarns. For example, the weft might be woven over three warp yarns and under one warp yarn. The result is a fabric with a diagonal pattern.

Corduroy is produced from a base of primary warp and weft yarns woven together. Using a technique called “cut-pile”, an extra set of yarns is interwoven into this base fabric, then cut and brushed to form the characteristic textured lines of corduroy. These ridges formed by the upright cut fibres are called wales or cords and give corduroy its plush, textured feel. The wale number determines how closely bunched the ridges are. For instance, standard wale corduroy has 10-12 lengthwise pile rows per inch and wide wale has 6-10.

Both denim and corduroy soften, fade and age with time. Denim fades with washing and wearing for two reasons. When warp fibres are indigo-dyed, the dye doesn’t penetrate to the core of the fibres. The surface dye washes and wears off. At the same time, the undyed weft fibres become more prominent. On the other hand, corduroy loses its dye and fades in high wear/stress points with the channels between cords maintaining some of the original dye. Both fabrics are extremely durable. Denim gets better with age, while corduroy needs a little extra care (wash garments inside out and iron carefully on the wrong side) to avoid flattening of the pile and development of shiny spots.

When my friend, Yvonne, and I were travelling in Dijon, France, we visited a hat shop named Chapellerie Bruyas. The shop has the look of an old-fashioned boutique with its wood-framed windows and doors. The window displays entice the passerby with a collection of stylish and well-crafted hats for women and men.

We were welcomed at Chapellerie Bruyas by sales representatives who are as passionate about hats as I am. Murielle (above left) helped me find a beret, made in the EU, and showed me how best to wear it. Deciding on a red beret was a bold colour choice for me and I’m happy with it. Murielle also gave me a great tip on how to take care of the hat: When not wearing it, turn it inside out to prevent snags or pilling on the right side of the wool blend fabric.

Yvonne had already picked out a summer hat, but decided that she too wanted a beret. After trying on many, she finally selected a dusty rose one. We had fun posing and photographing ourselves wearing our chic French hats and later on Rue de Chapeau Rouge as the sun was setting.

It is time to swap out warm whites and pastels for rich hues like emerald, sapphire, ruby and amethyst. Saturated colours can add drama to our homes and wardrobes. Be bold with upholstery or a dress in a jewel tone. Or accent your outfit with a pop of colour in a hat, scarf, gloves, shoes or bag. Wear jewelry with precious stones or gems to complete your ensemble. The name “jewel tone”, after all, is derived from gemstones.

Shift into autumn with jewel tones mirrored in nature. Think ripe berries and plums, squashes and pumpkins, coneflowers and rose hips. Notice green foliage as it changes to vibrant reds, oranges and yellows.

I chose a yarn called “Rowan Moordale” to crochet three different berets adapted from a design by Joyce Nordstrom. The yarn is made from British Blue-faced Leicester wool and alpaca. After it’s spun, two plies are twisted together and dyed giving it a distinctly textured look. Available in neutrals and deep rich colours, I showcase three in this post: Blue Moor, the colour of a turquoise gemstone; Thai, a dark green reminiscent of the forest; and Dahlia Deep, like a purple violet. Enjoyable to work with and to wear, it’s strong, warm, soft and lustrous.

One summer I came upon a multitude of damselflies with metallic blue bodies and elaborately veined transparent wings. They were mating in flight, the slender bodies of the male and female damselflies connecting together in a heart or wheel shape. It was fascinating to witness this ritual.

So, it was no surprise that a gift of watery blue cotton fabric printed with damselflies resonated with me. Not only was it visually appealing, but also it brought back memories of that special time seeing the damselflies. I immediately sewed a reversible bucket hat for myself and used a creamy white cotton twill for the second side.

A second “damselfly” hat was sewn in a newsboy style. Contrasting thread was used to topstitch the seams joining the six gores of the hat and a button reminiscent of the damselfly wings topped off the crown.

Having recently acquired a length of cotton velvet, I decided to adapt the newsboy cap pattern to a beret. It was a simple matter of eliminating the visor. The look and feel are quite different with the beret made in the black velvet with the soft, plush pile.

A friend came back from Japan with a much appreciated gift of cotton cloth. There were three cut pieces of cloth, each 110cmX50cm, that could be mixed and matched with one another or with fabrics already in my stash.

Coordinating fabrics can be easier if you find coloured dots on the edge or selvedge of the fabric pieces. The dots show the hues or colours the screen printers used in creating the fabric. They are called colour registration marks. If they’re numbered, this indicates the order in which colours are used to print the design. They also serve as a measure of quality control during production. If the colour falls outside the circle, the resulting design may be blurry. To prevent this, recalibration of the screen printing process must be done to properly align the screen, fabric and printing machine.

I decided to use two of my new lengths of Japanese cotton to sew a reversible bucket hat. It features a patchwork of cats, flowers and geometric designs on one side, while the other side is plain in a warm sand colour.

Some other options I had are shown below. On the left, I paired a two-toned neutral cotton which mirrors the patchwork quilt effect. And in the other two instances, I used the coloured markings on the selvedge to pull out solid colours which I thought would match up well with the print.

Two girls, my first cousins twice removed, will be visiting soon. They live far away and five years ago when I last saw them, one sister was three years old and the other an infant. I discovered their favourite colours are green/black and pink/purple, respectively. Now, both are school-aged and I wanted to make them each something special. I crocheted one girl a drawstring pouch and decorated it with flower pins. Then I crocheted a second bag with a handle and bejewelled it with a emerald-coloured button.

The primary yarn used in both bags is a fibre of acrylic, nylon and polyamide. It was manufactured with a texture of “eyelashes on a chained binder”, in other words, fuzzy. The green and black handbag is made up of this fibre twisted with two other strands, yielding a multi-plied yarn with even more texture and colour. Each of the bags measures approximately 15-20 cm, just large enough to carry items like a coin purse, tissues, lip balm, and hair ties.

I used some yarn leftover from hat making to crochet yet another small bag with a shoulder strap and decorated it with wooden beads and fringe. The handspun texture, composition (cotton, viscose and silk), and colour ways of the yarn add to the bohemian look of this child’s bag.

One of my favourite things in hat making is choosing materials. With reversible buckets, it is double the fun and challenge to mix and match fabrics. I am drawn to prints and patterns for spring and summer hats and usually select a neutral coloured fabric on the reverse as a contrast. I like cottons and linens, natural fabrics that are breathable and cool to wear.

My personal tastes gravitate toward blues and greys, but I was captivated by the dots of the Marimekko Räsymatto cotton in apricot and cream. The dot pattern was inspired by allotment gardening in urban settings. It was printed on cotton in Marimekko’s factory in Helsinki, where the themes of sustainability and environmental protection continue.

Small to medium-sized repeating patterns are appealing on hats. In particular, I enjoy sewing with Sevenberry cottons, especially the Nara Homespun with traditional Japanese motifs. With wear and washing, the feel gets softer and more comfortable. Linen is similar as pectins binding the fibres break down with washing and make the fabric more pliable and less stiff.

Bucket hats that I sewed recently have a wider brim. A 3-inch brim provides more sun coverage for the face, great for travel and outdoor activities. Although some of the fabrics are heavier, like cotton twill, the hats are all easy to fold and pack in a suitcase or a backpack.

Not only the origin of Nanaimo bars and birthplace of Diana Krall, Nanaimo is also a jumping-off point for the Cedar & Yellow Point Artisans Trail. A self-guided driving tour will take you to visit local British Columbian artists, crafters and farmers. Yellow Point Alpacas in Ladysmith is one such farm where you can see these gentle and curious animals up close. 

Alpacas were domesticated for their fibre thousands of years ago. They are social creatures, traditionally kept in herds in the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador and Northern Chile. Naturally, they live in family groups with one dominant territorial male, a female and their young. Because of this and the fact that larger numbers mean better protection from predators, alpaca farmers usually keep at least three animals to keep the animals’ stress levels down.

There is a gift shop on the Yellow Point Farm with warm, soft and luxurious products made from alpaca fleece – scarves, hats, socks, sweaters and stuffed animals. Alpaca is valued for its hypoallergenic characteristic. No lanolin means less washing before spinning the fleece; this is in contrast to sheep fleece. There is a diversity of natural fleece colours from white and beige to shades of fawn, brown, black, and grey. The lighter shades can be dyed to any colour. Blending with other fine fibres such as merino wool, cashmere, mohair, silk, or angora enhance a maker’s toolkit.

A hank of 100% alpaca yarn is shown in the photo on the left. Adjacent are hats I crocheted using alpaca blended with cotton and/or merino wool. Different combinations, different looks!

Spring is the time to transition your wardrobe to lighter pieces and brighter colours. Changing temperatures throughout the day warrant layering clothes and picking versatile breathable fabrics like cotton and linen. You can pack away your winter hats. Instead, accessorize with lightweight hats that will keep your head warm in the cool mornings and evenings. Choose your hats and scarves to bridge between the seasons.

I was inspired by the flush of spring flowers emerging this time of year. Whether it be yellow daffodils, red tulips, or pink cherry tree blossoms, the gardens are alive with colour and called me to include them in my hat designs.

Though rare in nature, flowers in shades of blue – china blue, deep blue, and lilac – are common in spring. It’s lovely to see clumps of bluebells, forget-me-nots and grape hyacinths growing along footpaths. Blue is a very popular and flexible colour for women’s, men’s and children’s hats.