Wardeh hiking to Upper Two Medicine Lake, wearing a bamboo jersey tank top

Jeff at Two Medicine Lake, wearing a bamboo jersey t-shirt

Before we left for vacation, and over the summer, I made good use of the bamboo jersey I purchased from Nature’s Fabrics. I made tank tops for me and the girls, and long sleeve t-shirts for Jeff.

I can’t say enough about how good these shirts feel to wear, especially in the summer. They’re lightweight, soft, and cool. Jeff and I wore ours every time we hiked this summer and neither of us got overly hot, even though we experienced some very hot summer days. Take a look at the extraordinary properties of bamboo fabric!

• Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass.
• Bamboo fabric is light and strong.
• Bamboo fabric has excellent wicking properties. Being highly water absorbent, it can take up to three times its weight in water. This means it pulls moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporate.
• Bamboo fabric is very soft and can be worn next to the skin.
• Bamboo fabric can often be worn safely by those who usually experience allergic reactions to other natural fibers, such as wool or hemp.
• Bamboo fabric’s fibers are smooth and round, with no sharp spurs to irritate the skin.
• Bamboo fabric is a sustainable textile, because the bamboo plant is quick growing and thrives without the use of pesticides or herbicides.
• Bamboo fabric has antibacterial properties which it retains through multiple washings. It can kill odor-causing bacteria, keeping the wearer smelling sweet.
• Bamboo fabric has insulating properties – it keeps the wearer warm in the winter and cool in the winter.
• Bamboo fabric takes bright dye colors well.
• Bamboo fabric drapes well.

I think I need to buy some more. Actually, I still have quite a bit. But that navy is really nice for Jeff, and I see now that Jeanne at Nature’s Fabrics has a grey available. Those are the only two masculine colors. I only made Jeff two t-shirts, but really, he could use a week’s worth of them. Also, many of the bamboo selections are on sale!

I consolidated this information from an article at WiseGeek.

Because of possible conflicts with a professional photographer, I was not able to take pictures. However, they did allow me to take a picture of the kids by the gift shelves. We aren’t the only local craftspeople offering items for this department. The picture’s labels show what we’ve made. The kids made the beaded bookmarks. I made castile soap, merino wool headbands, flax seed packs, and recycled jean tote bags (not pictured).

After our tour around and the yummy brunch, I shopped for our week’s worth of greens and beets. In the gift section, I found a hand-carved slotted wooden spoon. I got it to strain kefir grains, since metal is not recommended and I don’t like to use plastic. I think I know the wife of the man who made the spoon, so it is fun to think that we have something from them in our house now. I’ll use the spoon each morning and think about how nice and talented our friends are.

A local organization took ownership of a country store in the area. They are in the process of renovating it and adding fresh produce, a vegetarian restaurant, bulk foods, and gift shop. They asked me to contribute some of my craft items in the gift area. Of course I said yes. I am mostly participating for fun, without expecting to earn much money.

Yesterday, I delivered most of what I’ll be contributing: not only the castile soap pictured here, but flax seed packs in two sizes, repurposed fabric shopping bags, crocheted hats, and merino wool headbands/ear warmers. My girls will be contributing beaded bookmarks, as soon as they finish creating a batch.

The soap wrappers are black printing on scrapbook  paper for a color look (ala my “color” business cards). I so wish I’d thought to take a better picture of the basket carrying the soaps. I got it at a thrift store last week. It is antique (I think) with straw ribbon flowers embroidered around all sides. I will take a picture at the country store when it is all set up. It won’t be open for about a month.

The girls have spent hours for many months coloring and cutting out paper dolls. They were keeping the dolls and clothing in shoe boxes, but have now moved the dolls into binders and the clothing into envelopes. They mount the paper dolls on cardstock which is three-hole punched and then inserted into a spare binder, creating a paper doll book. Actually, I just found out this moment that the girls are changing up the plan a bit… they are slipping the cardstock into a page protector and then clipping that into the binder. So now my photos are out-dated. Either way, you get the idea.

She chose the color “Tulip” from KnitPicks.com Wool of the Andes. Lydia sent me this picture of herself today. I think she looks so adorable — see how the pink in her coat collar matches the hat?

You look just beautiful, Lydia! Thank you for letting me put your picture on my blog. Stay warm!

This will save time. No aching hands using this method, either. Any time I have to cut out 25 of something, my hands really ache. Guess I should add: when I don’t have a cardboard pattern.

Here’s how to do it. Lay the paper pattern on a piece of cardboard. Weight it down or tape it down to prevent shifting. Trace around it with a pen, pencil or marker. Use an X-acto razor blade or sharp knife to cut out the pattern piece from the cardboard. It is helpful to layer another spare piece of cardboard underneath the one you’ll be cutting, to protect the work surface. Transfer all pattern markings and label the pattern.

Now use that cardboard pattern, along with a cutting mat and rotary cutter, to cut out your fabric. The cardboard provides a stiff enough guide to keep the rotary blade on course. Just the weight of your free hand (the one that isn’t using the cutter) keeps the cardboard in place from shifting. However, use a fabric weight if you’d prefer or think it necessary for your particular application.

Over the weekend, I cut out 25 merino wool headbands/ear warmers in less than five minutes. Thank you to my friend Christina (who comments here now and then) for mentioning this tip to me a few years ago.

I’m currently working with three sizes: Child’s Medium/Adult Small, Adult Medium, and Adult Large. They’re all spelled out separately below.

My children and other children do well with the Child’s Medium/Adult Small. My husband likes the Adult Medium, because it fits snugly and he can fit a rain hat over it. I like the Adult Large because I don’t like a tight-feeling hat. In actuality, any of these hats would work for any of us. But there are subtle sizing differences that make a hat just right. I’ve tried to capture that in these sizes.

This is my first crochet pattern. So if there is anything unclear or you find mistakes, please let me know.

Feel free to share link to this pattern, but do not copy and paste my pattern on your website. Here is the direct link — http://suchtreasures.com/2009/01/16/wardehs-crochet-earflap-neckflap-hat. If you print the pattern, please include my name and copyright notice in your printout.

Wardeh’s Crochet Earflap-Neckflap Hat

Gauge: 15 sts + 18 rows = 4 in. (10 cm.) square. If it takes you fewer stitches and rows to make a 4 in. [10 cm] square, try using a smaller size hook or needles; if more stitches and rows, try a larger size hook or needles.

Yarn: Worsted weight, 210 yards, single color (sorry… at the time I posted this pattern, I said 600 yards! Ouch!)

Crochet Hook: I-9

Stitch Explanation:

beg = begin(s)(ning)
ch(s) = chain(s)
rep = repeat(s)(ing)
rnd(s) = round(s)
sc = single crochet
sl = slip
st(s) = stitch(es)
sc2tog (sc dec) = Insert hook into st and draw up a loop. Insert hook into next st and draw up a loop. Yarn over, draw through all 3 loops on hook.

Child’s Medium/Adult Small

Hat
Ch 4; join with sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1 (counts as sc here and throughout), 5 sc in ring; join with sl st in beg ch. Place marker for beg of rnd. Move marker up as each rnd is complete.
Rnd 2: Ch 1 sc in same st as join, 2 sc in next 5 sc; join with sl st in beg ch – 12 sts.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next st, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 18 sts.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 2 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 24 sts.
Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 3 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 30 sts.
Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 4 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 36 sts.
Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 5 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 42 sts.
Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 6 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 48 sts.
Rnd 9: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 7 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 54 sts.
Rnd 10: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 8 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 60 sts.
Rnd 11: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 9 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 66 sts.
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 10 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 72 sts.
Rnd 13-32: ch 1, sc in each sc; join with sl st in beg ch. Fasten off.

Neckflap and Base of Earflaps
Counting from beg of rnd, place st markers in the 10th and 62nd st.
Row 1: Join yarn with sc in 62nd st, sc back to the 10th st (crossing the original beg of rnd) – 44 sts.; leave remaining sts unworked.
Rows 2–4: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across.

Finish 1st Earflap
Row 5 (1st Earflap): Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in each sc across – 11 sts.
Rows 6–14: Rep Row 5 – 2 sc (at end of Row 14).
Fasten off, leaving an 18 in. tail.

Finish 2nd Earflap
Row 5 (2nd Earflap): Join yarn in 11th st. from end of neckflap/earflap. Sc in each sc across – 11 sts.
Rows 6: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in each sc across – 10 sts.
Rows 7-14: Rep Row 6 – 2 sc (at end of Row 14).
Do not fasten off – instead ch 1 (counts as sc in finishing, next)

Finishing
Turn hat to right side. Work sc evenly spaced around Hat and Earflaps; join with a sl st in first sc. Fasten off at bottom of 2nd earlap, leaving an 18 in. tail.
Weave in ends, except 18 in. threads left at bottom of earflaps.

Ties
Cut (16) 36-inch strands of yarn. Separate into 2 sets.
Insert a crochet hook between Rows 12 and 11 of the bottom of an earflap. Use the hook to grap one set of the ties, pulling one end through the hole. Fold in half to even up the ends (so there is an equal length on either side of the earflap). Add the 18 in. thread tail left behind to the bunch. Tie all in a knot at the base of the earflap. Separate the strands into sets of 6, 6 and 5. Braid the sections; tie at the bottom, trimming the ends.
Repeat with the other earflap.

——————————————-

Adult Medium

Hat
ch 4; join with sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1 (counts as sc here and throughout), 5 sc in ring; join with sl st in beg ch. Place marker for beg of rnd. Move marker up as each rnd is complete.
Rnd 2: Ch 1 sc in same st as join, 2 sc in next 5 sc; join with sl st in beg ch – 12 sts.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next st, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 18 sts.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 2 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 24 sts.
Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 3 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 30 sts.
Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 4 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 36 sts.
Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 5 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 42 sts.
Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 6 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 48 sts.
Rnd 9: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 7 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 54 sts.
Rnd 10: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 8 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 60 sts.
Rnd 11: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 9 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 66 sts.
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 10 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 72 sts.
Rnd 13: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 11 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 11 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 78 sts.
Rnd 14-32: ch 1, sc in each sc; join with sl st in beg ch. Fasten off.

Neckflap and Base of Earflaps
Counting from beg of rnd, place st markers in the 10th and 62nd st.
Row 1: Join yarn with sc in 62nd st, sc back to the 10th st (crossing the original beg of rnd) – 44 sts.; leave remaining sts unworked.
Rows 2–4: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across.

Finish 1st Earflap
Row 5 (1st Earflap): Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in each sc across – 11 sts.
Rows 6–14: Rep Row 5 – 2 sc (at end of Row 14).
Fasten off, leaving an 18 in. tail.

Finish 2nd Earflap
Row 5 (2nd Earflap): Join yarn in 11th st. from end of neckflap/earflap. Sc in each sc across – 11 sts.
Rows 6: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in each sc across – 10 sts.
Rows 7-14: Rep Row 6 – 2 sc (at end of Row 14).
Do not fasten off – instead ch 1 (counts as sc in finishing, next)

Finishing
Turn hat to right side. Work sc evenly spaced around Hat and Earflaps; join with a sl st in first sc. Fasten off at bottom of 2nd earlap, leaving an 18 in. tail.
Weave in ends, except 18 in. threads left at bottom of earflaps.

Ties
Cut (16) 36-inch strands of yarn. Separate into 2 sets.
Insert a crochet hook between Rows 12 and 11 of the bottom of an earflap. Use the hook to grap one set of the ties, pulling one end through the hole. Fold in half to even up the ends (so there is an equal length on either side of the earflap). Add the 18 in. thread tail left behind to the bunch. Tie all in a knot at the base of the earflap. Separate the strands into sets of 6, 6 and 5. Braid the sections; tie at the bottom, trimming the ends.
Repeat with the other earflap.

——————————————-

Adult Large

Hat
ch 4; join with sl st in first ch to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1 (counts as sc here and throughout), 5 sc in ring; join with sl st in beg ch. Place marker for beg of rnd. Move marker up as each rnd is complete.
Rnd 2: Ch 1 sc in same st as join, 2 sc in next 5 sc; join with sl st in beg ch – 12 sts.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next st, *2 sc in next st, sc in next st; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 18 sts.
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 2 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 24 sts.
Rnd 5: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 3 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 30 sts.
Rnd 6: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 4 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 36 sts.
Rnd 7: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 5 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 42 sts.
Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 6 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 48 sts.
Rnd 9: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 7 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 54 sts.
Rnd 10: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 8 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 60 sts.
Rnd 11: ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 9 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 66 sts.
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 10 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 10 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 72 sts.
Rnd 13: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 11 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 11 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 78 sts.
Rnd 14: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in next 12 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 12 sts; rep from * around; join with sl st in beg ch – 84 sts.
Rnd 15-33: ch 1, sc in each sc; join with sl st in beg ch. Fasten off.

Neckflap and Base of Earflaps
Counting from beg of rnd, place st markers in the 11th and 61st st.
Row 1: Join yarn with sc in 61st st, sc back to the 11th st (crossing the original beg of rnd) – 46 sts.; leave remaining sts unworked.
Rows 2–4: Ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across.

Finish 1st Earflap
Row 5 (1st Earflap): Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in each sc across – 11 sts.
Rows 6–14: Rep Row 5 – 2 sc (at end of Row 14).
Fasten off, leaving an 18 in. tail.

Finish 2nd Earflap
Row 5 (2nd Earflap): Join yarn in 11th st. from end of 2nd neckflap/earflap. Sc in each sc across – 11 sts.
Rows 6: Ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in each sc across – 10 sts.
Rows 7-14: Rep Row 6 – 2 sc (at end of Row 14).
Do not fasten off – instead ch 1 (counts as sc in finishing, next)

Finishing
Turn hat to right side. Work sc evenly spaced around Hat and Earflaps; join with a sl st in first sc. Fasten off at bottom of 2nd earlap, leaving an 18 in. tail.
Weave in ends, except 18 in. threads left at bottom of earflaps.

Ties
Cut (16) 36-inch strands of yarn. Separate into 2 sets.
Insert a crochet hook between Rows 12 and 11 of the bottom of an earflap. Use the hook to grap one set of the ties, pulling one end through the hole. Fold in half to even up the ends (so there is an equal length on either side of the earflap). Add the 18 in. thread tail left behind to the bunch. Tie all in a knot at the base of the earflap. Separate the strands into sets of 6, 6 and 5. Braid the sections; tie at the bottom, trimming the ends.
Repeat with the other earflap.

© Copyright 2009 Wardeh Harmon. All rights reserved.

Feel free to share link to this pattern, but do not copy and paste my pattern on your website. Here is the direct link — http://suchtreasures.com/2009/01/16/wardehs-crochet-earflap-neckflap-hat. If you print the pattern, please include my name and copyright notice in your printout.

Here are two shots of me in a hat. Hmm… which color was I wearing? You’ll have to imagine! It could be one of the six colors shown above; I can’t decide which one to keep for myself.

I crocheted the earflap/neckflap hats from baby-soft 100% merino wool Swish Worsted yarn from knitpicks.com. Do you think I’ve made enough trial hats? I know writing this that I risk coming across as crazy, vain and/or obsessive for constructing them all in my decision making process! Let me assure you: I am none of the above (so say I).

For myself, I think I’ve ruled out the Coast Grey and the Fired Brick, even though they are so pretty, especially the Fired Brick . The red is too colorful and the grey is too light and not colorful enough. Still in the running: Jade, Dublin, Black (of course), and Dark Navy.

Which do you think I should choose? You can vote for the grey or red, if you’d like. I look forward to reading your answers!

(I could keep all of them, which would be very indulgent, but I’d rather sell the others in my etsy shop or in a local bookstore/country store.)

Yesterday, I watched Persuasion while finishing up Jeff’s back up wool earflap/neckflap hat. Then I started a forest green hat for my friend. She is going to give me a Thai massage in exchange. After that I’d like to make a hat for myself. I think its more than past my turn. I’m almost out of the fine wool yarn I bought from KnitPicks.com last February. Time to go shopping again. Any color requests?

Note: View my pattern here: Wardeh’s Crochet Earflap-Neckflap Hat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As it turned out, I didn’t have to wing the crocheted ear flap hat after all. I found a pattern! Here it is. (You may have to have a free registration at LionBrand.com to view the pattern.)

The reason I chose this pattern over all the others that were in the running was that it included a neck flap to keep the neck warm, too.

I crocheted this hat for Jeff entirely on Sunday. It did take me half the day, but it was my first try and I had a half-dozen false starts.

The only change I made to pattern was to make a chain of 4 at the very beginning, instead of a chain of 5. This made a smaller hole at the center top of the hat. Actually, I wonder now if I chained 3 only?

The pattern surprisingly did not include any ties. I used the instructions in this pattern to make those. Thank you to my friend Shari for telling me about this pattern.

Jeff wore his new hat when he was called, on Sunday night, to work all night in a storm. He said that if not for this hat, he would have felt much, much colder.

Now the girls are asking for hats of their own. I plan on sitting down with them one afternoon this week and getting them started on crocheting their own.

Yarn: Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks, black.

Update: We determined the above hat was a bit small on Jeff. So I made him another and added one more row of increase (row #13 became an increase row instead of a row that stayed the same).

Because that meant the hat now had 6 more stitches in its circumference, I shifted all the markers 2 stitches toward the front. So, marker #1 was now at stitch 12, marker #2 was now at stitch 24, marker #3 was now at stitch 48, and marker #4 was now at stitch 60. The result of this shifting is that it makes the neckflap a little wider (by 4 stitches) and the front a little wider (by 2 stitches). The width of each earflap stayed the same, just shifted position.

Also, we determined the ties were not long enough, so I added about 12″ to the length of each yarn piece that makes up the tie (since each piece is folded in half, that makes the resulting tie about 6″ longer).