Because quite a few of you have ordered hats from me as part of barter deals via the
Trading Post, I wanted to announce that: (1) I am now done with all the ones I promised thus far and they are going out in the mail on Monday, and (2) My waiting list has cleared and I am ready for more trades. Thank you for your interest in these, and I am happy to make them. I have problems with the nerves in my hands and knitting is a good form of physical therapy for that - so it's great to be "forced" to do it. While I am not looking to start selling hats, I am more than happy to trade them for bicycle components and whatever other stuff might appear on my Trading Post "want" list. Since I've received a lot of questions about the hats, I thought I'd provide some details here, and link to this post whenever someone has a question. Please feel free to skip if this is not of interest.
Materials and Patterns: I use a soft 100% Peruvian wool. I have a very good source for the wool now and can get pretty much any colour you want. I don't use patterns, but make up my own designs.
Styles: I can make three basic type of hats in many variations: a
ski-hat ("beanie"), a
rounded Scandinavian style hat, and a
slouchy beret. I don't make hats with ear flaps or visors.
Texture: Most of my hats have some textural variation to them. This adds structure to the hat, as well as visual interest - especially when the hat is all one colour. If you prefer them to be smooth, that is fine as well.
Extra warmth? By default, the hats are warm and wind-proof. But if you want one that is extra warm, I can do that by using stitching that makes the hat thicker.
Summer hats? I can also make a
summer weight beret using a delicate cashmere blend.
Colour combinations: Hats can be made single tone, or in various colour combinations. I like stripes and organic forms. If you have something specific in mind, let me know!
Which hat for under a helmet? If you want a hat specifically to wear under a helmet, I recommend opting for a ski hat with no textural variation. The colour combination of course does not matter.
Trade value? No idea. So far I've traded for things like handlebars and vintage camera equipment, and multiple hats for a (new) wheelset. The more complicated the pattern, the more time consuming a hat is to make, but I have no concrete value system in place. I am not looking to start a hat business or to market these. It's just a fun way to trade and thanks again for the interest!
