Crochet Hats

I started to knit with enthusiasm when I was pregnant with Nicole, thanks to encouragement from my good friend, Liz.  I've since admired crochet, and wished to try it, but always chickened out, until I borrowed a fabulous book from the local library called "Essential Crochet" by Erika Knight.  It showed step by step how to make the stitches, and had photos to boot.  It got me started.  I soon discovered how much quicker crochet seems to be than knitting.  I like small achievable projects, so I've settled on hats to try out my newly learned skill.  One puzzle that fellow crocheters will be familiar with is the fact that the English conventional names for crochet stitches are different from the American conventional names.  Thus, you'd better know in which country the pattern you are reading was published before you start, otherwise you won't know whether you're doing a double or a treble or a half treble, or a double treble....aaaarrrrggghhhh!   The English names seem more logical to me, sorry about that to anyone who likes the American names.

Bonjour!

 This is the first one I made.  It was intended for me, but young Keith commandeered it for himself.  It looks rather like a beret on him, we thought.  So he got to keep it.  Nicole immediately demanded that one be made for her.  In pink and purple please Mum.

The princess in pink hat

 Nicole's looks less like a beret because I added a flare at the base to make it more feminine, and just to try it to see how it would look.  I like it.  (Not that blokes cannot have flares on their hats).   I like them both.  I am currently working on 2 more hats for 2 friends, in a different colour to these.  I am using variegated sock wool for all of these because they make such a beautiful colour.

The flare