Just what you need as Winter approaches
Things are certainly starting to feel cold in Melbourne these days. Summer has definitely departed and we’ve had to turn the heater on again. So I thought it was time to tell you all about the Winter hat I made for myself a couple of months ago. It probably seems like a strange project to make in the middle of Summer but I was going on a cruise to Antartica (I know! It was awesome!) And I knew I would need a good hat to keep me warm. So it seemed like the perfect time to try Purl Soho’s Wool & Cotton Ear Flap Hat tutorial!
The Wool & Cotton Ear Flap Hat is a free tutorial by Purl Soho. I’ve already made a few of their projects so I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I definitely wasn’t!
The tutorial is easy to follow with lots of clear pictures and instructions. It can easily be tackled by a beginner. One thing I did have a few issues with was their method for creating the ties. Corinne, who made the tutorial, has given clear directions on how to make the ties by the pull through method. I tried this with the first tie but it took me so long I decided to make both ties like I would a strap. Folding the long raw edges into the middle and folding again to enclose the raw edges. I then top stitched them. This method certainly gave the same results but was much quicker. Other than this I just followed the instructions until I had a completed hat!
The two fabrics I used for this project I picked up from my local Spotlight store. The exterior fabric is a Plain Melton Wool in Grey and the lining is made from Softy Cuddle Fleece in Natural. I just love this cuddle fleece. It’s so warm and inviting – which is what you need in Winter clothing! The only thing I will say about sewing with this type of fleece – it stretches easily so it can loose it’s shape. Plus it’s constantly fraying big bits of fleece so I did have to overlock the lining piece.
What else can I say about the Wool & Cotton Ear Flap Hat? It’s an awesome hat! It certainly helped to keep me warm in those Antarctic winds. The ear flaps are great for keeping your ears warm and the ties are very useful if you encounter lots of wind. The cuddle fleece lining with the wool exterior certainly kept my head warm. And apart from all those great features it’s also very stylish! To match my hat I also made myself another pair of felted wool wrist warmers with the left over grey wool. If you missed my post on those you can find it here. And next week I’ve got another Purl Soho tutorial to share with you – Simple Felted Wool Mittens!
