BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE

A package is about to be mailed with these and other hats to a Northern state in the USA for people who need it. I started this in Oct. 

Americans are one of the most giving people on the globe. It it was only for that reason, I am glad that I have learned about this life style. In Holland the government has largely taken over the task of taking care of people. That meant that I really had not grown up with what it was to give to others in need

 the 76 stitch Hat from Interweave Knits  - you can see I had some practice if you saw my first! I like this striped pattern the best. (the first hat of this year you can see  in the post of 10/12/09 titled "Warming up for Winter").

 For several years several people gave food, clothes and toys when I was going to grad school here. I knew that the people who gave it, were not by any means well to do, but they noticed I needed things, and gave it to our family from the heart. That changed my view of giving drastically.

The wine red Bourbon Hat became my own design.

The original pattern was a Peruvian hat I saw in Vogue knitting that looked kinda like a Santa Claus hat. After the first design, I knew I didn't want to go through 5 other designs that the pattern showed! So, I went over to the seed stitch (one knit one Purl, and the next row one Purl, one Knit for the detailed oriented people:)  ).

Also, I became impatient because it took forever to come to the part where one decreases the stitches. So I ended my frustration and shortened the hat by designing my own top/crown.

Grey hat seen from the side

This is what often happens. My creativity  tends to go one step further than the original instructions, I keep on re-creating. With the gray hat, I kept the fist design and repeated it,

and made a similar crown, ending with a little what-u-me-call-it.

Looks somewhat like an Alaskan Igloo, don't you think? 

Each hat is of a different size, yarn and color, so no two hats are the same
(didn't you hate it if someone else had the same clothes on as you?)
People without a house are not different from us. They have the same needs and desires. They just have less dollars available.

This is a cables hat (same as you see in the side bar), 

knitted on straight needles. The other hats were all made with a round needle. When finished the sides are sewn together. By the way, the only hat I kept to the instructions.

I decided not to "block" the hats, so the form will "melt" to the wearer's head, and humidity in the air at night will cause it to felt the yarn somewhat in a natural way.

The good thing about giving is that it does not need to be an obligation or chore, but is a joyful pastime, because you can share what you have or learned.