Day 4 of 7 days 7 hats

Blue lagoon knit cap embellished with a brooch converted from a necklace

Time required 45 minutes

This scarf is the main reason why I embarked in this 7 Hats in 7 Days challenge. I purchased this scarf in Paris 5 years ago. It’s a delicate geometrical patterned knit with a very fine cotton yarn. The scarf was expensive but I was convinced that it would become my “go to” accessory for many springs and falls to come. Except that the scarf is 103 inches long (262 cm) by 36 inches wide (94.11 cm) and after being wrapped three times around my neck …. even when made out of cotton, the scarf is way too warm to be worn between-seasons.

This scarf was in need of wearing hours and in need of a colour coordinated hat!

Italian scarf purchased in Paris — IMPORTED ITALIAN SCARF

Before we start, you could refer to my introductory post for a quick overview of the all the hats that will be revamped for this series and to read about my plan.

I purchased this knit ski cap on eBay in the color blue lagoon. The seller didn’t mentioned the composition but I believe that the hat is made of 100% acrylic yarn.

Blue lagoon knit cap embellished with an upcycled necklace as a brooch — SELLER NAME zslgood2016-5

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. I was satisfied with the purchased item and I’m mentioning the seller for your convenience in case you wish to acquire the same item. The seller did not mention the hat fabric composition, but it’s probably made of a 100% acrylic yarn 🙂

This seller offers 29 different ski cap colours.

Important note: These ski caps are made small and will only fit head sizes of 21.5 – 22 inches (54.61 – 55.88 cm) circumferences.

Let’s start this DIY embellished winter hat with brooch

I will wear this knit cap high-top style with a wide 3 inches (7.62 cm) folded cuff.

I went fishing in my box of unworn and broken jewelry to see if I could find an interesting piece that could be added to this knitted cap.

I will use this broken necklace as a brooch — FOUND THIS PLASTRON NECKLACE

I had this broken necklace in my jewelry box. Nothing expensive, it was about $2.50 (from eBay again). The colour of the plastic stones was a darker shade of aqua than the knitted cap, but it was still a decent match. I decided to find a way to use and upcycle the decorative plastron necklace to be part of the hat.

Verify the fit of the brooch on the hat — THE DECORATIVE PIECE COLOUR IS A SATISFACTORY MATCH

I simply turned the necklace decorative piece upside down … and voilà! I will use the decorative metal piece as a brooch in the center front of the folded-cuff.

I slightly bent the metal piece to follow the forehead curve — RISKY BUSINESS TO BEND THE PLASTRON TO FIT THE FOREHEAD SHAPE

The decorative metal piece was build flat so I had to slightly bend each side of the metal piece to adjust it to a round forehead shape. This was risky and the metal could of snapped, but I still had the matching earrings as a fall-back plan.

Even though the embellishment was a very nice addition, I felt it looked foreign on it’s own and I continued to brainstorm what else could be added to the brooch to make it looked like it belonged.

Use a second hat of the same colour — CUT LONG KNIT STRIPS FROM ANOTHER HAT

At one point I lost my purchased blue lagoon cap and ordered a second one. (Obviously I found the first hat the day before the second one arrived. Do things like this happen to you too?). The first hat was my base and I cut the second hat to make fabric additions to the base hat by cutting two thin strips in it. Raw edges are trendy!

Trying on the brooch — FIND THE BEST PLACEMENT OPTION FOR THE KNIT STRIPS

I moved the strips around to seek out different looks; small bows, small knots, small crosses. But sliding them under the brooch was the best look. And it made the brooch look like a component of the hat. Well at least to me …

Sewing the brooch in place;

Hand sew the wool stripes under the broochunder — THE RED ARROWS ARE THE SEWN AREAS

I decided to hand sew the brooch in place before cutting the top part of the knitted strips. I hand sewed through both layers of the folded cuff and through the holes in the metal backing of the brooch where there was enough space to pass the needle and thread. I also secured the knit strips in place.