Make a Ski Hat
From Felted Wool Sweaters

A hat from felted wool sweaters? Yes - I know, you probably think I'm crazy, but I hate to throw things away if I know I can make something else from them. Hence the creation of this new hat.

It really is so easy. Now don't shy away. I know, My Mom always laughs at me, as I'm forever saying, "Don't worry, it's really easy!" Anyway - I promise you can do it.

All you'll need is...

• an old wool sweater (already felted)
• a tape measure
• a pair of sharp scissors (blunt ones drive me crazy)
• a needle and either thread or yarn to match the sweater

Towards the bottom of the page you'll see some pictures to help you as you make your hat from felted wool sweaters.

Here's what you'll need to do to make a hat from felted wool sweaters...

First of all, measure around the head you want the hat to fit. The sizes are usually about 16"- 18" for a child, 18"-20" for a youth, 20"- 22" for a woman, & approx 21" - 24" for a man.
1. Measure the width of the sweater. It's easier if you have a sweater large enough that you can get the hat from either the front or the back, as that way you only have one seam.
2. Cut just inside one side seam as close to the seam as possible (so you don't lose much width), to a height of 11". This height will work for most size heads - for kids this might be a little floppy at the top, but it looks fun that way, right?
3. Measure the head size across the sweater and place pins along the measurement line from the hem up towards the armhole (to 11" deep).
4. Measure 11" from the hem up & place another row of pins across the width of the sweater to mark this line too, so you know where to cut. Measure both again, like a carpenter does (measure twice, cut once), just to be sure you have it right, then cut along both of your marked lines so you have a rectangle with the sweater rib along one long side. Phew - hope that cutting wasn't too stressful..
5. So - continuing the instructions for making a hat from felted wool sweaters...now you need to fold your hat rectangle in half (so the sides meet and the right side is on the inside) with the rib along the bottom, and pin the side edges together.
6. Back stitch along the pinned edge only. Now you have a tube.
7. Turn the tube right side out and fold over 1" around the top edge. Use 10 pins (approximately equally spaced) to hold the fold in place. You're using the 10 pins to mark the places you'll need to cut small slits in the hat. Ok - make the small slits at each pin marker - the slits need only be a quarter inch over the fold (half inch total), then remove the pins.
8. Going back to the sweater, cut a narrow strip of sweater - about a half inch wide (or the sweater seam) and about the length you hat is round . Thread it in and out from the center front of the hat, around through all the slits to gather up the top. Pull it tight, tie it once, and "Voila!", you've made a hat from felted wool sweaters.

Check out the pictures below to help you with the instructions.

To wear it as a neckwarmer, just loosen the ties around the top & pull it over your head & down to your neck. Either way you wear it, it'll be very, very warm!

I hope you've enjoyed making your hat from felted wool sweaters. Maybe you'll come up with your own ideas too.

Have you tried making mittens too?

Make sure you know how to felt your sweaters first, so the stitches don't run when you start cutting!

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