On the Easter weekend, I attended the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, Canada where the talent of Canadian makers, artists and designers was showcased. It was interesting for me to see eye-catching booth displays and hear about the histories and production processes from other makers. Many are women and involve mothers and daughters or sisters with entrepreneurial spirit. Although I walked through all the aisles of this large artisan market, my eye was drawn to anything crochet.

Working with my hands is joyful and meditative. I find pleasure in the chance to choose high quality raw materials, focus on patterns and stitches, incorporate intricate design elements, and make something unique or personalized. If I’m wound up in worry, picking up my crochet hook or sewing needle helps put life into perspective, cuts negative emotions down to size and reduces stress. Studies have shown that creative pursuits can indeed enhance feelings of happiness and well-being.

Wonder how to get creative if you’re not so inclined? One way is to “find your people”, as Tracey Brower suggests in a 2021 Forbes article “How to Be More Creative And Boost Happiness: 6 Ways to Get Inspired”. While making hats is mostly an individual endeavour, I draw inspiration from others. My sister who lives in Ontario gave me the idea to make headbands, a welcome transition from the warm hats of winter through the spring thaw. A stylish friend who favours timeless over trendy gifted me a collection of buttons collected over the years. From the input of my sister and the buttons of my friend, I crocheted Hope Earwarmers, a design by Yarn + Chai.

Whether it be outerwear, cardigans or blankets, tweed garments are rustic, durable, and warm. Traditionally, sheep shorn for the first time provide the finest and softest fibres that are the building blocks of tweed yarns and fabrics. The name “tweed” comes from the River Tweed that runs along the Scottish Borders Region. Tweed was developed in the 1700s to help deal with the harsh climates of Scotland and Ireland. Sheep wool fibres used to be dyed with natural materials such as lichen and wildflowers. Thus, wool was typically the muted colours of brown, green and grey.

The wool fibres are spun into yarn. Colour blending produces a multi-coloured tweed wool, often with small flecks of colour, for knitting or crocheting. Other natural fibres like cotton and silk might be mixed in.  I found that tweed yarns look great made up with all-over repeated stitches. Simple is better when it comes to tweed. For the Alpine Crochet Headbands, the stitches alternate between double crochet and front post double crochet stitches.

Pantone provides a library of colour standards. It is used globally in graphic and multimedia design and the textile, fashion, interior design and home industries. The Pantone Color Institute was established to provide designers and brands with colour consulting and trend forecasting. The first ever colour of the year was Cerulean in 1999. A quarter of a century later, it is Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz.

When it comes to fashion, not everyone wants to wear a garment in peach fuzz. It is a colour that particularly suits those with delicate warm-toned skin, often the blonde or red-haired with blue or green eyes. I wondered if I could create a hat featuring peach, but wearable by those with different complexions, hair and eye colours. Maybe I could mix colours? Some colours that complement peach include the earth tones like sage green, terracotta and desert sand.

Neutrals such as grey, caramel, and off-whites can subdue a vibrant peach colour. I came up with the idea to use a neutral brim to border a more colourful hat crown. In the hats below, a neutral colour is next to the face. The grey works well for someone whose skin tone looks better with cool colours. A warmer neutral such as beige can do the same for a person whose skin tone suits warm colours.

“I can’t wear wool next to my skin. It’s too itchy! I want to keep my head warm on freezing winter days. What can I do?”

A microscope gives us some clues. If you look at sheep wool under a microscope, you can see the fibres have a scaled surface. Sheep also secrete lanolin through their sebaceous glands. Lanolin is a natural oil, an allergen that can irritate the skin of sensitive people. The degree of itch is related to the amount of scaliness and lanolin. Also, the thicker the fibre, the more likely it is to itch. 

Non-itch natural fibre options include bamboo, silk, cotton, and alpaca. The warmest of these is hypoallergenic alpaca whose fibres have a smooth surface and lack lanolin. Not itch-free, but less itchy with fine smooth fibres, are cashmere, merino, and blends like cotton wool and tencel wool.

Acrylic and synthetic yarns can feel soft and comfortable but are not that warm. Again, looking through the microscope, sheep’s wool fibres have kinks and bends that trap heat. Alpaca fibres are hollow so retain even more heat.

The ideal insulation is not too chilling or overheating. Here are some other ideas to moderate your body temperature. Cover or uncover your ears. Choose a hat with a folded brim for another layer of warmth. Wrap your neck with a knit scarf. And for those extra cold days, throw your jacket hood over your hat (no pompom as it gets in the way).

30% off Hats by Tracy J! It’s time to refresh my collection and make room on the shelf for new hats. In the retail industry, the hats on sale may be considered “dusty inventory”, but there’s nothing dusty in the classic cloches, slouchy beanies, and reversible summer bucket hats that need a head to love.

Hats by Tracy J will be tagging onto the Winter Warehouse Sale at Tenth & Proper, 4483 West 10th Avenue in Vancouver from January 16-27, 2024.

After many crocheted hats, a stash of leftover yarn remains in my storage cupboard. While I come from a “waste not, want not” upbringing, I also do not have limitless closet space and love to clear clutter. What to do with all the unused yarn? In the past, I have used yarn scraps to make flowers, pompoms and tassels to embellish hats. I have repaired old clothes with visible mending techniques such as darning, embroidery and crocheting. I have crocheted miniature hats as Christmas tree decorations.

Sorting through my stash, I found a few larger partial balls of yarn, not enough for a hat, but maybe enough for an ear warmer? In fact, yes! I crocheted three ear warmers, also known as headbands. The first was striped in rows of double crochet with two different natural shades of a llama/merino wool blend. The second and third were made using identical post stitch patterns, but demonstrate how varying colours and textures of the raw material can affect the final look of a piece. 

For anyone with a stash like mine, there are plenty of creative ideas on the internet. Below are illustrations of the mug rug and a crocheted granny square pouch that I crocheted with small lengths of yarn. Unleash your own imagination and design something unique.

Please come to the Wesbrook Village Holiday Market at UBC. Hats by Tracy J will be there, along with other vendors selling unique gifts, crafts and treats. Live music will be performed by the Willy Blizzard Duo.

When? Thursday, December 14, 2023, 2-4 PM

Where? Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC

Where I live, I see fall and winter outerwear in black, grey and khaki. It’s neutral and goes with everything, but admittedly a bit drab. I was delighted to have so many customers at the Dunbar Holiday Craft Fair try on and purchase hats of different hues. They looked fabulous with colour topping their heads and framing their faces. Some even chose hats with flowers and pompoms.

It’s common to see children sporting brightly coloured hats. My latest interest is combining colour and incorporating visual fun. In addition to blue for boys and pink for girls, there are countless colour options that are playful and punchy.

As adults venturing into the world of colour, maybe we are all not yet willing to dive into too much colour. I had an idea that I applied to a classic beret pattern, “double-strand crochet”. I used a neutral black yarn as one strand and another coloured yarn as the second strand. Holding the two strands together, I crocheted them as if they were one strand to create a unique colourway. Two other advantages of this method are a thicker yarn and a firmer crochet fabric.