A Hat for A Head - Patons 814 Free Download

Turbans are part of our shared memory from the box of 'things that make the 1940s' but they have a longer history in the UK. The well-to-do of Britain first got turban fever in the late 1700s along with the fascination in all things oriental but it was a relatively short lived fad soon to be replaced by other exotic items. Working class women had used a practical head covering that kept their hair away from their face and out of their work for centuries. It's likely that a simple remnant of cloth wrapped about the head was used but painting and photographs show that these could be quite fancy. It could be the connection to working class that made the turban fall from high fashion and suffer an image problem and it was not until the 1920s that it rose again.

The fashion for shorter hair styles and less frou-frou paved the way with film stars and socialites needing something to keep their locks sleek. Mass media gave everyone a chance to copy the trend and the place of the turban in British fashion history was set. By the 1940s they were everywhere: in films, fashion, newspapers, adverts.

When rationing slowed, and then stopped the availability of millinery supplies, women got creative with their headwear and took the turban to new heights (quite literally) as there was still a need for a good, warm, and practical hat that was easy to wear, required no pins to hold it, and could be made with the supplies at hand. And knitting stepped up. Some patterns were no more than wide strip of loose knitting wrapped and tied but others became a little more elaborate. The pattern here has 3 versions: a plain wrap, a twisted wrap and then one with a crown which makes a more formal hat.

The crown one uses 2 strands of 4-ply worked together, or you could use an aran weight yarn as I have done here. It takes less than 100g, this one took 79g of an acrylic and wool mix and works up very quickly, in fact you may spend longer arranging the knot that actually knitting it.

To download the pattern please click on the link below
3 Turbans in Carin Rimple Wool

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