Ah - well both my grandmothers were crafty sorts, they had cooking recipes which involved 'as much butter as you can spare' and instructions such as, 'add milk, or water' and would knit, crochet or sew with just a tape measure and a scrap of paper for making notes which made no sense after the garment was finished.

I'm afraid that my way of working a balmoral is to use fairly thick yarn, or several thinner threads, and a hook which will make a fairly firm but not too thick fabric in double crochet - that is the English term, start in the centre top by winding the yarn several times around a fingertip and crocheting around, pull a loop through the ring then pull another one through the two loops. Second round is twice into each of the first round, then gradually do fewer increases so as to make a flatish disc. I usually do very slightly too few increases so the top forms a bowl when worn a few times. I don't count the non decreases, just do an increase when I notice that the stitches are pulling to one side of the previous ones. I go under the loop of the stitch, not into it, for a firmer fabric.

Once the disc is large enough I do a few (2 or3) rounds without alteration and then start to decrease, that is pull loops through the next two stitches then pull a loop through all three loops on the hook. I usually make the decreases separated by a prime number of stitches, starting off with 19, then reducing to smaller primes as the hole gets smaller. It normally results in the decreases being separated rather than coinciding.

Once the hole is small enough to fit my head I do single crochet, pull a loop through the loop of the stitch and the loop on the hook each time so as to make a firm band, then finish off with a small chain stitch loop and single crochet around right around the chain so as to make something to hang it up by or tie it by so the wind can't take it.

That is about it really.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: