54721 tmta9

Men’s hats and caps

1. Felt hats

a.    Plain hat worn over a hood, 13th and 14th centuries.

b.    Fashionable tali form from the mid 15th century. These were sometimes attached to a scarf and hung over the shoulder.

c.    Up-and-down brimmed shape, 14th and 15th centuries, often worn by huntsmen.

2. Fur hats

Long-haired fur hats worn by men during the 15th century were madę in the shapes seen for felt.

a.    Shaggy fur hat.

b.    Round hat combining a felt crown and fur brim. Many of these fur styles would have to be madę by a specialist, but some, like b, can be madę up by combining materials, or by modifying a modern hat.

3. Knitted caps

These were in use by the mid 15th century, but are hard to identify in illustrations.

a.    13th century ‘beret’. This would be a suitable shape for knitting.

b.    & c. Plain round caps

d. Fashionable tali hat, c.1460

Cap-knitting is done ‘in the round’ on four or morę needles, starting from the centre and adjusting the stitches to shape the cap. A wide variety of shapes can be madę. Remember to allow extra for shrinkage when you ‘fuli’ the cap. This involves soaking it in warm water and pounding it to felt the fibr es together.

189