Bonnet Bashing Jock Scott Style

[BobsYourUncle]

O.K. Day 2 of Jockin' the Bonnet. Bonnet full of rocks soaked overnight in cold water. This a.m., drained the water, removed bonnet and rocks. Wrung out the bonnet, beat up, abused bonnet like a rented mule. Even trod on it in getting excess moisture out. Put rocks back in the bonnet, and hung it on the fence, out of any direct sunlight for the first drying.

[mbhandy]

So what are you trying to do? Stretch the felting?

Did no see Jocks post.

MrBill

[piperdbh]

So what are you trying to do? Stretch the felting?

Not so much stretch as soften and work out the creases that form during shipping. Jocking makes the bonnet look "broken in", instead of that brand-new, fresh-out-of-the-box look.

[Tartan Hiker]

And I suggest that we add "Jockin' the Bonnet" to the official XMTS lexicon.

[BobsYourUncle]

And I suggest that we add "Jockin' the Bonnet" to the official XMTS lexicon.

I must confess I had the same thought as I typed it...."Jockin' the Bonnet" belongs in our lexicon...

[BobsYourUncle]

O.K. Stage 2 of Jockin' the Bonnet. I don't know why exactly, but I thought it would be more efficient to save the tying of the ribbons and sewing down the knot for after the first soak and the first drying period. I guess I thought the ribbon and knot would come out of the process with that much more integrity that way...remains to be seen....I do think that the knock in the headband on the Robert Mackie militates in favor of tying, despite my MacPherson brethren who maintain that such ribbon tying is not done at the mouth of the Spey...

Ironed ribbons, positioned for tying [Many moons ago Turpin did a thread on this]:



Begin the knot--just like a bow tie for those you who use other abstruse forms of fashion, for all others, think grade school shoe lace tying:



Make a horizontal with the bottom loop, bring the top over at approximately 90 degrees:



Put a finger in the middle of the top ribbon, and tuck in around and into the loop in between the front of the knot and the back:



Pull through to just form the knot, don't pull it all the way tight, now is the time for the little adjustments that make it perfect and symetrical, if that's how you like it, THEN you pull it all the way tight:



Adjusting...



Final adjustments made--the sine qua non, if not the ne plus ultra:



Time to sew down the knot so it will be permanent through all of life's trials:



Yep, spear it right through the knot, and run it through several times before the final tie-off.



Final tie-off:

[BobsYourUncle]

Bonnet, cold water, bucket and rocks ready for a second overnight soak:



Izzy the kitten inspects the works:



Why have you inserted rocks into a bonnet which otherwise would be a perfect napping place?



Rocks into the bonnet for a second immersion:



Into the drink:



The rising bubbles are the sure sign of a happy bonnet, being properly shaped:



Tomorrow: the partial drying to dampness, the forming and wearing while it dries....