Get Your Crochet On Hip Hats and Cool Caps, by Afya Ibomu. You can find her and the book at Get Your Crochet On.
What it is Trendy and practical patterns for covering your head. All patterns use simple, basic stitches and construction techniques. The book is intended for all levels of crochet expertise and inspires the user to adapt the patterns for a customized look.
The Review What a great collection of fashionable hat patterns. I am not a hat girl. I have a big head at 22.5-23" and most premade hats don't fit well. So, for me to get excited by a hat pattern book is rare. Included in the selection of patterns are a simple beanie, granny square hat, sun hat, head wrap, kangol, fedora, several hats for containing dreads, and a cabbies hat. The book includes a Getting Started section with instruction for basic stitches and techniques to complete the projects. At the end of the first section you can find instructions for how to make a small or large bib (or bill) that can be added to many of the hat patterns in the book - no plastic mesh needed. I loved the photography, design, and layout. They do a great job of representing each of the patterns and it's variations. There is a young girl model who is so cute in her hats, she even makes the granny square hat adorable.
Now, there is a problem. None of the hats include finished measurements. There is hardly any mention of sizing in the book at all. She does put elastic cords and bands in some of the hats to keep the fit and there is a stitch gauge included with each pattern. Some patterns include gauges for different hook sizes, but you have to do the math (find the maximum # of stitches in the crown and divide by the gauge) to figure out which one is for you. In a few cases the hat is worked side to side first then you complete the top of the hat by working along the row ends. I love the texture created using this construction, however, there is no mention of how many stitches you should have to work on when you go to complete the top portion. Some people may work 1 stitch per row-end to finish the top, but some people might work 2 stitches. This can make a big difference of 5-10" in the circumference of the hat.
The first pattern I want to try is the Soldier Hat with a brim. I figured out how many stitches I need to work along the row ends in order for the hat to fit my head, but not many people want to (or even know how) to do the footwork to make a hat that will fit them.
If you get a chance to look the book over, let me know what you think.
2 comments:
Hi Julie,
I, too, received this book for a holiday gift. I do love it. The photos are great. As to hat sizes, well, I just keep trying on the hat as I make it, fitting it to my head. I actually use the patterns as jumping-off points for my own designs.
Congrats on the "Uncommon Threads" episodes finally airing! Happy New Year!
Ellen B.
Los Angeles
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