a big hello to all of you coming over from the kniterviews & knits stretch yourself series over on made by rae! such a great series!  we love sewing with knits over here on luvinthemommyhood so when the fabulous rae asked me to join in i just knew i had to get a slouch hat idea that i had been working on since xmas finished.  i am a die hard knitter and love to mix elements & techniques, so for this hat i wanted to replicate the movement and texture that i love out of my knitted slouch hats and incorporate them into an actual sewn hat.  i also wanted a hat to wear during the warmer and cooler months.  a lightweight, stylish slouch that has a bit of flair and personality. my favorite part of this hat is the construction. i made test hat after test hat to get this just right for you folks.  it's super easy, fast, and simple to customize and even more fabulous to wear!!  it's also awesome when you can get one of your pals, who happens to be a super awesome knitting designer ( janerichmond.com) to model/photograph the hat for you too!  thanks jane!!!!  you're the best hun!
the best part of this hat is that it is made all in one piece!  what?!  yep, that's right - just one pattern piece!  there is literally only two side seams to sew and a topstitch around the hat.  how awesome is that?  the rest is some fun hand stitching and customization done to your taste!  the twisted cable is actually part of the hat and not an additional piece that is sewn on! i hate bulky ends to hat and the construction of this hat allows for a softer drape for a sewn garment without the weight and bulk from seam construction.  the small side bows add a feminine and whimsical touch that slim the cheekbones draw your eye up and away for a slimming effect instead of adding bulk and width to the face.  if you've never been able to wear a bulky slouch hat before this may be the time for you try out the slouch style without the added bulk.  made with a soft, thin stretch it's light weight, soft and comfortable to wear! 
the twisted slouch hat is also a great way for you to practice your sewing with knits skills.  using a lighter weight stretch can sometimes be challenging but the look of this hat changes quickly if you add too much sturdiness to the fabric.  i would stick with a soft drape to retain the feel of the hat.  make sure to read your machines manual for sewing with stretch and if your machine isn't set up with stretch stitches whip up a practice swatch...trust me :)  just like with knitting it's always handy to do a test swatch to double check the drape and look of your sewn garment.  practice the right stitch, machine settings and needle for your machine to get the best look for your hat.  i recommend ball point needles and/or using a zig zag or sometimes even a triple straight stitch works great for sewing with stretch.  it's all about your machine though and matching it to the fabric you are using.
this hat is a great beginner stretch project as your twist going down the side could hide any uneven stitches or "oopsies" if you do have an issue.  the only place your machine sewing shows is along your brim.  if you aren't looking for a zig zag stitch here set your machine to the right straight stitch to use for stretch and pull the hat stretched as you sew to get the right diameter to give your head room to stretch the head out without breaking the seam of the hat.  i promise it's easier than it all sounds and once you jump into sewing with knits you'll wonder what all the fuss was about and why it took you so long.  there's no seams to finish and it's fast and fun to sew with!  you ready to get sewing?  woot woot! let's go ladies!  happy sewing!


Materials:
- ½ yard of stretch fabric of your choice (i recommend a light weight drape stretch) - coordinating thread  - sewing machine  - suitable needle for sewing machine for sewing with stretch  - hand sewing needle  - scissors  - fabric marker  - pins


Instructions:
*All seam allowances are 1/2" unless otherwise stated.
1. Download & print out hat pattern with no automatic sizing/no scaling selected.


2. Fold fabric in half with main stretch going left to right right sides acing out.  Then fold in half again from left to right.  


3. Place hat pattern piece on top of fabric with top of hat on first fold of fabric and side of hat on 2nd fold of fabric.  The pattern piece is the size of half of the hat so after you are done cutting when you open up your fold it will be full size and you will be left with an actual fold still at the top of your hat.

4. Weight down pattern piece and cut hat out taking care not to pull or stretch out your fabric.

5. Measure in 1.5” from the outer edge of your hat.  Taking your fabric marker and using the existing hat as a guideline draw out another hat but this time 1.5” in from the outer edge *taking care to stop ¼” from the top of the hat on either side of the hat.  Please note I have a smaller sized head and if you are concerned you may have a larger sized head circumference please pin the sides up on the hat as if you were cutting and try hat on to check the sizing.  If you need more room cut the into the sides at a smaller amount..for ex. 1" instead of 1 1/2".  *See illustrations above.

  6. Turn fabric inside out (right sides facing each other).  Carefully pull your dangling edge on one side insde the two pieces of your hat as straight and flat to the opposite direction as possible without pulling the hat form.  Use your finger and feel if the strand is out of your sewing path.  Pin down along the side of the hat.  Sew down this side of the hat with a ½” seam allowance starting from the top stitching downwards.  Note: my head is on the smaller size if you have a larger head use a 1/4" seam allowance.  *See illustration to the left.

7. Repeat step 6 but on the opposite side again taking care to make sure your strand is flat and out of the way of your stitching.  

8. Turn hat right side out and try on.  Fold the bottom of the hat under approximately 2 inches or desired size (make sure to leave your strands out of the brim).  Using a pin or fabric marker mark where you would like your brim to end if you need to make any changes to fit the size of your head and desired amount of slouch for your hat.


9. Turn hat inside out again (right sides facing) and pim your soon to be brim down properly.  Stitch down using a straight stitch set for sewing knits on your machine.  I found this looks the best but not all machines will be able to do this.  Since you aren't top stitching (you could if you would like to though) make sure your bobbin color is the color you want showing on the right side of your hat :)  Mine works fine if I stretch the fabric out as I go while stitching on a good tension for sewing with knits but it’s totally up to you the style you would like for your hat.  If a zig zag or a different seam work best for knits on your machine and it's the look you are going for than go try it out.

10. Turn hat right side out again.  We're going to cut into those funky strands now.  Simply cut the strand in half all the way up until almost the top.  Once you are done cutting them you can simply twist them in your preferable style.  I wanted to replicate a cable that you would knit on a hat so I did a simple layered twist alternating which strand was on top and kept it loose and wide.  Once you are done twisting, pin the strand down over your side seams of your hat.  Bye, bye ugly seam - hello fun cable!

11. Hand stitch your twisted strands down onto your hat using an invisible stitch until you reach about ¼” above the start of your brim.  Tie your strands into a knot then simply fold each end under in the shape of a bow and pin.  Hand stitch the bow down.  Repeat for the other side of your hat.



12. Put that hat on and go rock it all year round! The breathable light weight stretch will be stylish for the warmer weather without overheating your head but still warm enough to wear in the winter as well.  Say good by to those bad hair days!


happy hat making ladies!  have fun and i cannot wait to see you all sporting your twisted slouch hats! so awesome!  make sure you add your project pics to our flickr group so we can all see your lovely work!  i've got at least 2 more of these in the works in some other colors. can't wait to add them to my wardrobe :)


a big thank you to rae for having me on the blog - luv ya hun!  make sure you all check out the rest of  "the kniterview series and the knits stretch yourself"  on made by rae for lots of tips, tricks, how to's, tutorials and interviews! it's awesome!  so get trying sewing with knits! i promise it's fun & very addiciting!