y friend Kalli has become my hat muse. In fact, it was partly due to a hat that we met over 10 years ago. I've made 2 so far, the one pictured here is my design. The other is/will be pictured soon at Stitch Diva Studios because Jennifer Hansen designed it. See below for more on it.There are people in the world who know how to wear hats and for whom wearable art manifests its highest destiny; and if Kalli were merely such a person she would be a sufficient muse. Spending her life deeply committed to supporting fiber artists and living her life as Art itself elevates her to hat guru. Therefore it is my yoga (i.e. a spiritual path) to design for her a series of crocheted hats. Like fruit and flowers one brings to a puja (spiritual ceremony), I seek out the finest yarns spun from the finest fibers.
Since my hat guru lives on the other side of the country, Buddha has agreed to sit for fittings.
A superbulky handspun-handdyed-merino-boucled mohair mantra (i.e. design) entered my awareness while meditating in my ashram (i.e. petting my yarn stash) one day. The yarn (Tochay's, no website but see Crochet Dude's entry) wishes to be worn by Kalli. While I watch the mail for handspun angora, I have a soma-dripping (i.e. lustrous) pure silk 'Cascade' worsted weight yarn handdyed by Tess. I evolve along my hat yoga path by using increasingly finer wt yarns and by getting progressively more creative and expressive--something my hat guru embraces about me.
I also like the Tochay Toque trimmed.
The 2nd hat I made, from Stitch Diva's "Downtown Cloche" pattern, is 1 full ball Berroco Pleasure for a night sky, and a partial ball Crystal Palace Party for the full moons. (Isn't the Katherine's Wheel stitch pattern fun?) I used a K hook so that it would come out a slightly larger size for Kosmo-Kalli, who, like Buddha, prefers a 24" circumference made adjustable by the vintage crocheted lace trim.
