Question about winter hats...

[lucie]

Down here on the Gulf Coast it rarely gets cold enough to wear winter hats. I've started making one for someone in the colder climes though, and I have a question about the final fitting.

Do most folks prefer them to fit snugly across the crown of their head, or with a bit of open space at the top, kinda like the hat in the smilie, above. The pattern I'm using calls for x number of rows before the pattern changes for the brim. I've still got about 3 rows to go before I get to that point and right now it fits snugly over my head, down a little across my forehead, and just covers my ears. I'm going to add rows for an up-turned brim once it's the "right" size. If I add the additional 3 rows the hat won't fit snugly across the crown...it will be looser across the top.

 

Is there a preferred style?

 

On a related matter...Do chemo patients prefer the caps snug against their heads? So if I'm using the same pattern for chemo caps, I may want to make it snugger?

[LondonLaura]

I like my hats snug on my head, long enough to keep my forehead and ears warm if necessary. Hope that helps!

[cherrypicker]

personaly I find that the beanie style hats, snug and no brim are more popular, and I have made cemo caps, that are snug with no seams.......hope that helps.

[Addey]

For us in the colder climes, snug is better than loose, if only because with cold tends to come wind. I personally like a wide brim on my hat (not a turned up one) because then when it's snowing it doesn't get in my face. My husband likes the turned up ones because the brim doesn't get in his way then.

[JennyBunny]

My family (all from very cold climes) prefer to have close fitting, ear covering hats. Hubby prefers a brim as he wears glasses, but a thick foldove or cuff can help with that.

[JoBug]

Living in the COLD winters of Iowa, I and my family LOVE the close fitting ones, long enough to cover your ears, because you know you loose most of your body heat through your head, no kidding, thats a fact !

Now one also who has recently gone through chemo, a soft hat is nice, and I myself dont like too "airy" ones, then people see, well they are RUDE and look too see if you have any hair under your hat...and I had blotches of hair,lol. But it did make my upset that people are so rude, who would have thought??? But soft yarns for them, a friend here on the vile made me a wonderfuly soft one with this baby alpaca yarn, with a matching scarf, so it was so soft and cool looking, no one would know I was " HIdding" under it...

so just my two cents for you....for the beanie..there is a pattern here at the Ville one of our friends made up

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=38728&highlight=beanie

 

I have made MANY of these for my boys and their friends! Good luck!!

[darski]

I like and need a hat that works so it has to cover my ears as well.

 

I also like some style to mine so i tend to make the bucket style hats with a brim and usually a flower trim... I wouldn't do the trim for a boy though

[lucie]

Wonderful advice everyone! Unless I hear otherwise I'm going to stop at this row and add the brim. I love my Crochetville family.

[purlwise]

I like mine a little loose, I tend to get headaches if something is to snug on my head.

[Granny Square]

I vote for snug too. Also, keep in mind that one's head measures a bit bigger with hair than without, so chemo patients would need a slightly more snug (but soft) fit than they would have pre-treatment.

[Feederofthepack]

Being short and round, a close fitting hat makes me look shorter and rounder! I like a little height.