Strut

From <em>Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker</em>:<br /> <br /> Fun.&nbsp; Easy.&nbsp; Proud.&nbsp; Warm.&nbsp; That's what I want in a good wool hat, so that's what I set out to make.&nbsp; There's nothing like a fun hat to help you brave a gray day.&nbsp; All those feathered hats in fall fashion shows made me wonder how to make a hat with the same bold colors as peacock feathers, but in wool.&nbsp; It had to be felted to make it more rigid and sculptural as well as warmer than a regular crocheted hat.&nbsp; I hit on this Noro colorway, combined it with a shell stitch, a lot of hot soapy water and agitation, and Strut was born.&nbsp; The shell stitch is easy and fast, and it creates a scalloped edge that lets the color variations bob in and out in each row.&nbsp; It also felts well into a slightly quilted effect.&nbsp; This hat takes only a few hours to crochet, and an hour or so to felt.&nbsp; It would make a great gift--if you didn't keep forgetting to give it away.<br />