Bonnets for Growing Children

[John Henderson]

I am starting to kilt up my son who is almost eight. As you parents know, kids grow quickly through clothes. He has an adjustable Sport Kilt that currently fits him at the narrow end of the adjustment range (but I had them add four inches to the length. He's tall and thin, unlike his dad. It's currently a little long, but hopefully will allow him to grow, and won't be too short by the time he's at the end of the waist range.) I want to accessorize him, but items that are fitted can get expensive. Namely, a balmorral. All the ones I've seen are fixed sizes, and I'd go broke buying him a new one every year to wear to two or three events.

I know that the ribbons on the back of bonnets, which are all just for show now, used to be used to adjust the size. So I am wondering if anybody makes a traditional bonnet (balmorral, preferably) that is still adjustable, and can give some growth room.

I have searched here for "adjustable bonnet," and other search terms, but haven't come up with much. I found this thread, http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...almoral-74554/, which talks of knitting a balmorral oneself. That might be an approach. We're somewhat crafty people, and my son says he wants to learn to knit. He has a number of plastic looms for making potholders and such that he enjoys, and has made ski caps.

I've read about the "Hummel" bonnet on http://albanach.org/articles.html, and have looked for the Betty Johnson bonnets on the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop web site, but they no longer seem to be there. I was reading here yesterday about a maker that made custom balmorrals and sold them through the STM gift shop, and they seemed very popular with the XMTSers. I cant recall the name now, but they no longer seem to be on the website either. And I don't know, or don't recall if they could be made adjustable.

For those highland wear history experts, before they started making bonnets in fixed sizes, how was the adjustment made? Does the ribbon pass through a band, like in drawstring shorts, or is just a large "V" or other shaped cutout in the rear, and the ribbons are fixed to either side?

How do you outfit your growing children without selling the farm?

[Benning Boy]

You might try adapting one of these:

http://southpacificberets.com/childrens-berets.php

The style of beret shown is a one size fits all thing, that would stretch as your son gets a big head. A black one ought to work fine. Kids heads grow pretty fast, faster than the rest of their bodies. A one size fits all adult beret might be in order. Most of the berets at the linked site have a little wick on top. It could be clipped off and a tourie put on in its place. Yes, yes I know the word used to name these things is beret, and not balmoral, but a round floppy cap is a round floppy cap, any difference is only incremental. Just call it a bonnet, and kilt kops can't accuse you of being in error, unless they want to quibble.

[Nathan]

A toorie is pretty easy to make and that might be a good option. If you're a stickler for the little details like me, you can make a beret into a balmoral with small investment and a little sewing, but as he's growing, you might want to leave the elastic alone and let him grow with it.

Check out the thread with me doing it here.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...version-84692/

On another note, does he really need a bonnet? They are rarely worn in Scotland now. I wear mine to work the clan tent but otherwise, I'm usually bareheaded.

Good l

[unaspenser]

The nice thing about felted wool is that there's a fair bit of give to it if you have the right equipment. The ones I make all get stretched to size with a stretcher (google "hat jack" for one brand that looks similar to mine). I would guess even commercial ones (if they're wool) could be soaked and then stretched to get some more use out of them. Let me know if you're interested in making your own, I'd be glad to send you my pattern.

[John Henderson]

Some good info there already. Thanks. I have toorie instructions in So You're Going to Wear the Kilt.

As for Nathan's comment, even my wife said, "I can never get him to wear a hat. I don't know that he'd wear it," but he's tried mine on, and if for no other reason, he wants a clan hat badge, and will need something to pin it to.