Introducing Project 006—Winter Hats
Our next project is for Winter Hats. We’ll start off by drafting a beanie for stretch knit fabric then draft a hooded scarf and variations on a hood-type accessory.
Welcome to Sewing With Numbers, a newsletter about sewing, math, design and how to draft your own sewing patterns. Through simple pattern drafting exercises, I'll show you how fun, useful and empowering math can be. ✂️ Every 8 to 10 weeks, I feature a different drafting project, with each lesson building upon the learnings from previous ones.
Hello my mathy-sewing friends! I want to pause to take a moment to send my sympathies to the Los Angeles community. I lived in Glendale and LA for 17 years and it's heartbreaking to see a city I love going through so much hardship. If you are looking for ways to help, here's a list of places to donate to. If you've been affected and are looking for resources, here's a list for you.
Our next project is for Winter Hats. Since moving back to the Pacific NW, I’ve been thinking more about how to stay warm in the elements and hats are a great way to do that. I chose this project because it’s seasonally appropriate (for the Northern hemisphere) and I think it’s nice way to ease into the new year.
Plus, these hats will build off the lessons from our sun hat series and our fitted knit skirt series. We’ll start off by drafting a Beanie for stretch knit fabric. Then, we’ll switch over to Hoods and Hooded Scarves. The beanie will require fabric with stretch but the hooded scarf can be made with a wide range of woven or knit fabrics.
I’ve been seeing more hood type accessories in the last few years and I love the idea of wearing a hood as a way to keep my head warm without smushing my hair. (I’m sure other curly haired folks can understand that concern.) If you’re not familiar with a hood style hat or hooded scarf, keep scrolling for some RTW inspiration!
Above are a few of the inspiration images that I found for the Hood and Hooded Scarf. (I’ve also seen the Hood accessories called balaclavas and snoods but those words don’t seem quite right to me. So, I’m sticking with Hood for an accessory that is looser around the head and neck and not attached to a garment that covers the torso.)
Sources clockwise from top left: (Some links are affiliate links.)
Top row 1 Hooded Scarf with Pockets, Duluth Trading Company 2 Cashmere Ribbed Balaclava, White + Warren 3 Padded Hybrid Hooded Scarf, COS
Middle row 4 All For You Hooded Scarf, Free People 5 Mohair-blend Hooded Scarf, H&M 6 Coral Hooded Scarf, Arctic & Fox
Bottom Left Ribbed Knit Hooded Balaclava, Urban Outfitters
Bottom Right Rufus Knit Balaclava by EAVES
Most of the images in the mood board are made with knitted fabric. And there are lots of knitting patterns available for this type of garment. (I actually knitted a hood scarf about 20 years ago that had pockets at the ends of the scarf. Fashions do come back around!)
That said, I think a Hood can also be made by sewing with woven or knit fabric. My favorite of the inspiration images is the oversized raspberry red hood scarf that looks like it’s made from a boiled wool. I love the Red Riding Hood vibes.
I’m also intrigued by the black upper right example that looks like a nylon puffer coat. What if you did a quilted fabric? Or berber fleece? I think the options are pretty endless. You can even line the hood with a different fabric for contrast. And you could use a silk or satin lining to be extra friendly to curly hair.
I’m planning to share this project in 4 parts, listed below.
Knit Fabric Beanie Tutorial Wed. Jan 22, 2025
Hooded Scarf Tutorial Wed. Jan 29, 2025
Hood Variations Wed., Feb. 4, 2025
Project Journal Wed., Feb. 11, 2025
Also, as I mentioned in last week’s post, I’m planning to turn on paid subscriptions on Feb 1, 2025. If you pledged support, you can make changes before that date. I will also be archiving posts older than 3 months at that time. So, if you’ve missed anything, make sure to go check out the archive before then. The projects are organized by tag and listed in the navigation bar of the Sewing With Numbers homepage.
Thank you so much for following along! I hope you’ll enjoy this project. As always, let me know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you enjoyed this post, you can tap the "heart" at the top or bottom to help other people find it.
Happy mathing!
Beth
You can support this newsletter by subscribing and sharing or check out the links below.
Visit me elsewhere on the web:
Pattern Shop | Improv Quilting E-Course | Instagram | YouTube
Quick question you may have already answered: will paid subscribers have access to archived posts/projects? Thx. (Love the hooded vibe, too. Made a self-drafted cape with hood, sorta Red Riding Hood, a few years ago for my daughter and used fleece and buffalo plaid. Fun!) I am excited for this hood project.