A couple of hanks
Well, the saying is ‘when life gives you lemons, make a g&t’ (or something like that)… but living in west Wales, life never gives me lemons (too cold and wet), it gives me heaps and heaps of STUFF. Even that is not true… the heaps and heaps of STUFF is entirely my responsibility – it’s things I could not bring myself to throw out in years gone by. However, it does mean that I occasionally uncover things that inspire me. And so it was last week, when I was exploring some of the boxes up in the loft, and I came across some hanks of yarn… and some balls of yarn… all a sort of dull purple and a bit fluffy and all, apparently, bought from The Natural Fibre company 20 years ago. Goodness only knows what I intended to do with it… no doubt I had a plan at the time. Anyway, here we are in a different century and I have no desire to make it into a garment for myself. I’ve washed the hanks, but the yarn in the balls can be worked up before being washed – it will make life easier.
So, when life gives you yarn… make a turban. Especially since life has also given me some old curtain rings. The design is inspired by an old pattern, undated but perhaps from the 1940s or 50s. The pattern describes how to make a knitted version, but mine is crochet. The curtain rings form the anchors at the front and back of the hat – quite a clever idea. My rings are bigger than the ones suggested in the original pattern, so leave a bigger hole, which I’ve covered with a flower at the front. What do you think?
There is lots of this yarn however, so I haven’t stopped with a turban… I’ve also made couple of pairs of fingerless mittens and a simple beanie hat and I’ve still only got through a ball and a half. And then I came across some black mohair yarn (why? WHY?) so I’ve used some of that to make another turban hat. And then I came across a ball of something pink and yellow, so I made a slouchy hat, with a contrasting grey band.
You may be wondering at all this mad creativity and exactly how many hats I might be able to wear, but in fact I’m making stock for a stall I’m going to have at the International Permaculture Convergence in London in September. I have been dithering about whether to do this, but finally I decided to bite the bullet when I realised how much yarn I have around and how many items I have already made that are ready to sell…
Some of the stock I already had
So my plan now is loads of making for a month and a half and then fingers crossed for good sales.
The Snail of Happiness 
davidprosser
/ July 15, 2015Ah, so life is a circle really, once you’ve sold the stock you get to by your G & T’s? Then you look in the loft and see whether life brings you balls of pink and yellow(grapefruit and lemons) so you can start again.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 15, 2015What a brilliant idea… crochet to fund g&t!
xxx huge hugs xxx
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thecontentedcrafter
/ July 15, 2015David sure has the right mind set! You will be selling all your lovely scrunchies too no doubt! I particularly love the pattern of the slouchy hat – I think that will be an absolute winner – and the turban is brilliant too, just not suitable for me and all my hair! I’m still trying to nut out the page for my crafters shop and that will be another venue for sales for you I hope. xoxo
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 15, 2015The slouch hat was so easy and quick to make that I’m planning to rustle up quite a few more of those. As usual, I was inspired by a pattern, but ended up making several changes to make it my own!
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katechiconi
/ July 15, 2015Can I make a suggestion? Dye some of the yarn black and make some black hats with coloured bands to power through your ample supply. You’ll need much less of the coloured contrast. It would work particularly well with the slouch. And that turban would work well for the chemo-bald in winter – how about a nice black one with a pink ribbon or flower trim?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 15, 2015I think you may be on to something there… the latest black mohair turban (just finished over coffee) has a blue flower and trim and does look rather stylish. I’ve made it a bit baggier than the first one, so hair can be tucked up inside too. Better check out how many curtain rings I actually have… not a resource I ever envisaged using for anything other than hanging curtains!
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KerryCan
/ July 15, 2015I just have this image of you, with fingers flying in a blur!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 15, 2015There are other things I should be doing, but the crochet is just too tempting…
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KerryCan
/ July 15, 2015That’s how I’m feeling about weaving these days . . .
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colorpencil2014
/ July 15, 2015I will cross my fingers…you obviously do not have time to do so! Love the hats, my fave is the beanie!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 15, 2015I’m hoping there will be something for everyone! I might make some crochet flowers to take with me and offer to add one or two if customers want them, to appeal to all tastes 🙂
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Pat
/ July 15, 2015Love the pink and yellow color slouchy hat. It looks something like what my mother called a “snood.” Except I don’t think it covered the front of the head. Wish I was on your side of the pond so I could visit you’re stall in London.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 15, 2015I wish you could too.
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narf77
/ July 15, 2015OOH you have been a creative little vegemite Ms Snail! I finally stopped procrastinating and got crocheting on a project that I have been promising a small boy but that has made me turn green at the gills just thinking about. I have to customise an anime series doll that is ostensibly a teddybear with a little human inside it. There are NO patterns for anything like this online so I can’t do my usual “find pattern…make pattern…” No, this time it’s all “invent pattern” and thus I am twitching. I made the legs, buttons and tail last night. It wasn’t so bad. I pinched a pattern for a large M and M online to give me a sort of big egg shape for the body and fingers crossed I can make it sort of look like what it is supposed to look like. This crochet lark is terrifying! I love your hats. I have so much hair now (thanks to a combined lazy aspect and a desire not to spend $30 plus on haircutting every 6 weeks) that I might need 2 of those slouchy hats. I hope you do really well on your stall and raise the funds to get some seriously top shelf Gin. If you don’t, get cheap gin, macerate the heck out of it with something local and quaff to your hearts content. 🙂
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arlingwoman
/ July 15, 2015Oooh I would love to come to your stall. Will you take some knockers too? I realize you do those to order, but you never can tell. In any event, I just love the red and white pot holder with the flower. It reminds me of one of my grandmother’s pot holders. It’s all gorgeous. And isn’t it fun to be using up yarn from the past?
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gentlestitches
/ July 16, 2015great ideas and I know they will sell! 😀
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crawcraftsbeasties
/ July 16, 2015What a find! I’d rather life gave me yarn than lemons any day! Happy knitting, and good luck with your upcoming market 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ July 16, 2015It really was a great find and so much of it that I feel like I have “permission” to experiment.
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insearchofitall
/ July 17, 2015You have quite the collection there. I’m sure you will do well in the sales department. The turban was very nice. My favorite was the slouch hat. I’ve not seen anything like it here. I’m always looking for hats and caps since I wear one most of the time. Especially in winter. Good luck earning the G&T’s. 🙂
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claidig
/ September 25, 2015Are the turban patterns your own or are they adapted from somewhere? I’m struggling to find any that aren’t for children or have US-based instructions.
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