Hat (sizing) question

[srmc]

Good morning.

 

I have a question concerning hats. I live in the desert so hats are not needed. I have never considered making hats and I have only made one hat before and that was for a trip to Alaska. I think I made it too small. So to get to my question..... when making hats for others do you just gauge what the hat size should be or do you measure? I am thinking I may try to find a quick hat pattern to make as a gift for family members this year but I am worried that the size would either be too big or too small.

 

What do you do when you are making a hat for a gift and you need to know the size?

 

Thanks,

 

Stefani

<a href="http://www.dreamsofnyssa.blogspot.com" target="_new">My Blog</a>

[MarvieN]

Hi Stefani,

 

I've been making tons of hats lately. I don't have a really good answer for you, but I fit most of them to my own (fat) head. Hubby's head is a tiny bit smaller than mine so if I want something smaller I fit to his head. I use my son's head for all the kid hats near his age group (he's ten) and for little bitty ones.... I hope like heck they'll fit since I have no little ones around to use lol. I have borrowed my neighbor's three yr old to try toddler hats on a couple of times though. I try to keep in mind shrinkage with that first washing so I add a row or two most times, if it's a folded or rolled brim hat and there's no shrinkage it won't even be noticed lol. So far most everything I've made has shrunk somewhat in the wash though. I'm guessing that going through the wash evens out the stitches or something?? I dunno lol.

 

Good luck!

[Jessica36]

<span style="font-family:papyrus; ">Hi, check out coats and clark.com they have an awesome hat pattern that give count by weight of yarn and size of head</span> <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/veryhappy.gif" />

[Guest SamplerLady]

Most people have standard head sizes. I start making my hats at the top and work to the brim. One can measure as one goes along to see when increases need to be made to fit. Making them stretchy rather than solid helps them fit a larger variety of people. If you don't have the person there, a large balloon might help as you can, with help, hold it and try the hat on, deflate and use for another size air head!

 

BTW, what desert are you living in? I live in the Sonoran Desert and it gets cold enough, especially in the early mornings, for hats and gloves, and mittens, and scarves!

[MarvieN]

:w-lol I just checked out that chart and I have a mansize head lol

 

I did save it in my hats folder though for reference. Thanks for posting it SL! I think I need to raid your favorites folder :rotfl you always have the greatest links!

 

Marvie

[Guest SamplerLady]

I don't have that much in my bookmarks. I use search engines. I find that it takes as long for me to find it in a massive folder of bookmarks as it does for Yahoo to find it. Plus when I use a search engine, I get to see all the new sites up since the last time I searched for something.

 

Search engines are so sophisticated now. A random series of related words will create a very interesting list of sites that can answer questions.

[srmc]

<img border=0 src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/thanks.gif" /> Thank you Sampler Lady. This website is exactly what I was looking for.

 

As for the desert.... I am in Arizona. Same desert but down south. Not too cold down here. <img border=0 src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/smiliecold.gif" />

[beachlady]

You soud like you know alot about hat making, well I have the same questions she did. First where and when do you measure for any size. And what stiches make it more streachy, or tight. I have made my first 2 last week, my first I think was to big, (for my 32 yr old daughter) and the second was real tight, even though I used a K hook and used 2 strands of ww yarn. The patterns both diff. said, will fit most heads. Does one measure around the top area, this is all so confussing for me. I understand one make make it as long as they want, but the top area seems to me is where the size would matter, or does one have to make the whole thing first then see if it is ok, I hate to do that. How does one tell how it will finish out?

[MarvieN]

Beachlady,

 

I'm pretty new to hat making, but I've been making a bunch of them lately and from what I can tell it's hit or miss lol. I have a large head so if a pattern says it's for a medium or small head, I add a row or two of increases or go up a hook size. DC is stretchy, sc is less stretchy. I have found that when making a dc hat and finishing with sc it gets a bit tighter (maybe bc I crochet tighter when I sc??) so I have used a row of sc to tighten up a too large hat, rather than frogging back.

 

I have one hat that ended up too big, but I haven't washed it yet, it might be perfect after a run through the machines. On the other hand, one hat that was perfect, ended up to small after washing. Yet others have been perfect. Hence my statement about hit and miss lol.

 

I have learned to add a row or two after I think the hat fits perfectly, that way shrinkage won't make it too small. As for fitting at the top.... I usually try it on after I've stopped increasing and have two or three rows of even crochet around, not to much to frog if I have to add increases or take out a row.

 

I don't know if I've been any help or not, but that's what little I have learned so far

 

Marvie

[noricum]

No wonder I can never find a hat that fits... my head is even bigger than a man's: 22.5"!

 

[beachlady]

Thanks for the response, so now I know it is not me, what you stated makes sense as this is what happens to me, I just hate it when things are not real clear. I hate making something, then have to pull it all out. I am sure we all feel that way. :chicken