Balmoral Bonnet #2 - Finally Finished

[Aspiringloser]

I knit mine without the notch and just stretch it until it fits. Then I sew a loop of ribbon equal to my head circumference, well, usually a quarter to half inch wider, then stitch it on. Works pretty well for me. I like the fitted band rather than messing with ties and tails.

[kiltedrennie]

I knit mine without the notch and just stretch it until it fits. Then I sew a loop of ribbon equal to my head circumference, well, usually a quarter to half inch wider, then stitch it on. Works pretty well for me. I like the fitted band rather than messing with ties and tails.

Interesting. Your technique would most likely be the traditional method since I imagine each bonnet would be made to the individual and not mass produced. I've been moving in that direction. I bridge on the second round working flat instead of the forth. That way I can still determine front from back. I'm still cutting, but I'm leaving off the twill tape and just using the bow since I leave mine tied.

I'd love to find information on extant bonnets from the 19th century so I could copy their construction. Haven't looked very hard yet. Must be a museum with the info somewhere.

[Aspiringloser]

I tie a loop to the center back in place of the stitch marker before felting. After it's felted, shaped, and dried, I cut the loop off then install the band. Seems to work okay so far.

[kiltedrennie]

I tie a loop to the center back in place of the stitch marker before felting. After it's felted, shaped, and dried, I cut the loop off then install the band. Seems to work okay so far.

That would be useful for squaring the back end cut leaving a cleaner transition for the band. I find the deeper notch annoying to work around as it always ends up asymmetrical. A bit of a notch can provide an edge at the proper angle for the twill ties, but since I'm not using them...

[piperdbh]

What's the maximum stitches in the largest row in Anne's pattern? The pattern I use goes up to 180 sts for a few rows then decreases for the crown. I also eliminated the ribbon band. I knit flat for 6 rows, then join in the round a k 7 rnds. On the 8th rnd I pick up the cast-on edge, and k 1 st from the live needle tog with 1 st from the picked-up sts. This makes a tube with a little gap in it. I then keep working the rest of the bonnet. To felt it, I slip a length of ribbon through the tube and tie its ends together, then felt the bonnet. The ribbon inside the tube prevents it felting together.

[kiltedrennie]

What's the maximum stitches in the largest row in Anne's pattern? The pattern I use goes up to 180 sts for a few rows then decreases for the crown. I also eliminated the ribbon band. I knit flat for 6 rows, then join in the round a k 7 rnds. On the 8th rnd I pick up the cast-on edge, and k 1 st from the live needle tog with 1 st from the picked-up sts. This makes a tube with a little gap in it. I then keep working the rest of the bonnet. To felt it, I slip a length of ribbon through the tube and tie its ends together, then felt the bonnet. The ribbon inside the tube prevents it felting together.

Anne's is 150 for the large bonnet.
Are you using someone's pattern available for purchase?
What needle size and gauge?

[piperdbh]

I use the pattern that is used to make the bonnets that the STM sells. The creator of the pattern gave me enough clues to figure out how the bonnets are made, and I engineered to ribbon-opening technique.

[kiltedrennie]

I use the pattern that is used to make the bonnets that the STM sells. The creator of the pattern gave me enough clues to figure out how the bonnets are made, and I engineered to ribbon-opening technique.

That's pretty cool. I'm not up to your talent/experience level.

I should disclose I have just became a registered hobbyist and plan to sell the bonnets I knit. I don't want you guys to share techniques with me without knowing. I'm still going to blog about how I make them as I go. I doubt I'm going to be much competition to anyone else at the speed I can make them.

Anne has given me permission to sell the bonnets based on her pattern if I provide attribution and state that anyone can make their own bonnet with her pattern, along with a link to the pattern on ravelry.com. I need a few more under my belt before I'm willing to sell them. I don't think the quality is quite there yet.

[SemperFyffe]

One thing I have noticed in regards to the finished size. The tension used while knitting (how tight the stitches are on the needles) greatly effects how it felts. I have knit one in a large size that I was a little over zealous in my tension and when felted it turned out to be child sized. My son on the other hand tends to knit very loose and this bonnets tops always end up looking a little too floppy. A little off topic, but I have some great resources on knitting socks that I am trying to gather for you and I will shoot you a pm once I make my way through the pile of patterns I have collected. I definately recommend the toe-up method. I have knit a pair with one sock top down the the other toe up and much prefer how much easier it was to fit the toe up sock properly. The top down sock is baggy and bulgy in spots.

[piperdbh]

I usually use size US 8 dpns, but I've used 5s a time or two, to make a really dense felt.