Each hat in my most recent series of hats was purchased at a thrift store and then embellished with freeform crochet. The hats are currently for sale at Synapse 206, a boutique in Seattle's Pioneer Square district. Photos by Edward Bruns.

 

Anemone Hat

A crocheted acrylic hat with a burst of underwater growth on top.

 

 

 Flower Garden Hat

A nice knitted hat with flowers, leaves, and vines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green and Gold Glitter Hat

Crocheted openwork skully with a touch of gold glittery yarn. This one didn't come from the thrift store. It was made with DMC Senso cotton.

 

Orange Flower Garden Hat

Another knitted hat. I edged the brim with a row of single crochet and adorned it with flowers and vines in fall colors.

 

 

 

Tlingit Inspired Hats

 

This started out as a page for Tlingit Regalia, but I ended up making hats only and playing around with a lot of different hats, so it's expanded. There are still a lot of Tlingit influences to my hats. The latest hats incorporate stylized Tlingit designs and Tlingit words.

 

Old Salmon (xein) Hat

This hat is very comfy because it's made from a nice soft cotton yarn. It will stretch when wet, though. Wear it long or tie the tail in a top knot for a unique look. $35.00 US.

 

Killer Whale (keet) Hat

This hat is made from acrylic yarn and should stand up under lots of wear and tear. $35.00 US.

 

Ray of Sunlight (gagaan x'usyee) Hat

 

Another long stocking cap, this one is made of wool and will keep you warm even when wet. Tie the end in a top knot or leave it long, looking like the whip end of a bull kelp. $35.00 US.

 

Freeform Hat #1

 

I had some left over scrumbles and for a long time couldn't figure out what to do with them. Finally, I had the idea to use them like emblems or patches on a cap. I'd seen some young men wearing this type of hat with earflaps, so I came up with a pattern. I usually do a round of single crochet around the scrumble to give it definition and then sew it to the hat.  The scrumble on freeform hat #1 has spring green, teal, black, white, and a little yellow. The body of the hat is made with a nice gold cotton yarn. The earflaps are large and ribbed. $25.00 US.

 

Freeform Hat #2

 

Freeform hat #2 is made from acrylic yarn in a neutral taupe color and has navy trim. The scrumble is red, white, navy, and taupe colors. $25.00 US.

 

Freeform Hat #3

 

Freeform hat #3 has a scrumble of gray, black, and green polyester yarn that is very soft and fuzzy. The hat itself is made from a dark gray acrylic yarn with thin black trim and laces. $25.00 US.

 

In 2003, I started trying to crochet Tlingit designs, reflecting the influence of my hometown of Wrangell, Alaska. The following hats are the result of my first attempts.

 

Heritage Mosaic

 

This hat consists of a crocheted wool covering sewn onto an Italian-made straw hat. The crocheted covering is a kind of freeform, using motifs from Tlingit art to represent the community in which I was raised and the culture that influences me. The only complete motif (most are fragments) is the frog face (see below), representing the Kiksadi clan of my children and best friend, which can be seen in one of the pictures. The Italian hat underneath represents my biological European heritage (although my biological heritage is not Italian - I couldn't find a suitable Norwegian, Irish, English, or German hat!) This hat is in the May 2004 exhibit at http://ifthehatfits.knotjustknitting.com/. $350.

My Heritage Mosaic hat was also featured in the gallery pages of the Sept/Oct issue of Belle Armoire.

 

Crazy Indian

 

Worked over a straw hat, using motifs inspired by Native American designs - I call the hat Crazy Indian. While participating in a hat scrumble exchange with the Yahoo freeform crochet group, I asked the other artists to provide me with their vision of Northwest Native American designs. I then incorporated these with some scrumbles of my own to make the hat. I chose the name "Crazy Indian," because that was (and still is) a label often applied to Native Americans, like the scrumbles were applied to the hat base. Although labels stick to the outside, they don't necessarily reflect what the inside looks like; they are just other people's interpretations.

 

The hat is made with a variety of fibers and has a recycled straw hat base. The "tails" are similar to those used by the Tlingits in their Raven's Tail style of weaving. This hat is in the August 2004 exhibit at http://ifthehatfits.knotjustknitting.com/.
The hat is for sale for $100 U.S.