hat & hood

Summary

Fawn wool crochet and large iridescent plastic spangles; worked in two sections, face edge scalloped, stitch forming close texture on wrong side and densely looped surface in right side, many loops threaded with one spangle each; loop and bobble fastening under chin.

Display Label

This detail of looped crochet is from a woman's winter hood, intended for wearing when travelling outdoors to an evening party. It has been made more glitzy and glamorous by incorporating large iridescent transparent discs to catch the light and shimmer. This cap was machine crocheted in Italy specifically for retail by the Manchester store, Kendal Milne, now part of House of Fraser. For many years, Kendals was the most up-market department store in Manchester, selling a whole range of household goods as well as fashion. The later 1960s and 1970s saw a revival of knitting and crochet as a craft pursuit producing fashion garments and accessories. Patterns were published for crocheted shawls and scarves, cardigans and tunics, tops and even evening dresses in a range of pastel and primary colours. Magazines of crochet were widely published in Britain and the United States, promising "whole wardrobes of top designs", and typically including "special occasion" crochet hats or, in one case, a "get-ahead multicoloured cloche".