MYOG Fleece Headgear

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Call it a beanie, toque or watch cap: I have used this for years, sometimes down to 20 degrees F when I'm hiking, or with a hood when I've stopped hiking. It's somewhat rain resistant - fleece retains its warmth when wet and dries fairly quickly. Fleece is stretchy, so it stays on my head under the windiest conditions.

The hat is a single layer of fleece, with the bottom rolled back to make two layers over my forehead and ears. Warmth is easily adjusted by the roll of it: rolled less for more coverage of my forehead and ears, rolled more for less coverage.

I sleep in a top bag with my head completely exposed, to keep breath moisture from getting into the bag, and I wear the cap to keep my head warm. The set-up is good down to about 35 degrees F, and the hat weighs two ounces.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

Hat
Balaclava
Pillowcase
Getting Fleeced
Detailed Instructions
- Watch Cap
Detailed Instructions
- Balaclava
Detailed Instructions
- Pillowcase

# WORDS: 1540
# PHOTOS: 9

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Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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Nov 9, 2010 at 3:12 pm #1265308

Addie Bedford
BPL Member

@addiebedford
Locale: Montana

Companion forum thread to:

MYOG Fleece Headgear

Nov 10, 2010 at 7:44 pm #1663055

Dan @ Durston Gear
BPL Member

@dandydan
Locale: Canadian Rockies

Nice pillow case…it makes me sad that my sewing machine is broken.

Nov 12, 2010 at 2:23 am #1663423

Roger Caffin
BPL Member

@rcaffin
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

Fleece is FUN!
And it is so much tougher than down or synthetic.

cheers

Nov 12, 2010 at 6:32 am #1663450

Thomas Gauperaa
BPL Member

@gauperaa
Locale: Norway

I'm just curious as to why you don't invert the beanie so that the seam and seam allowance is hidden?

If the fleece had a different surface for the inside and outside, then I would place the "outside" sides together and sew, and then invert.

Nov 12, 2010 at 12:44 pm #1663595

Eric Blumensaadt
BPL Member

@danepacker
Locale: Mojave Desert

I'm going to make one since I do need one for sleeping and really foul winter weather. But I'll make the head (top) seam so it curves UP to a point in the back. Then I'll look like a big elf.

Maybe I'll sew on pink, pointed fleece "ears" too. :) Also I may sew in some light elastic around the bottom half of the face opening.

One could have fun making goofy balaclavas for kids.

Nov 13, 2010 at 6:53 pm #1664010

Colin Parkinson
BPL Member

@parkinson1157
Locale: Ontario Canada

nice set of instructions for the hat and the balaclava.

For the fleece pillow case just stitch a piece of fleece to the inside of your clothes stuff sack, seam seal the seams on the outside. To use turn inside out and stuff.

For the deluxe model only stitch three sides of the fleece so a blow up pillow can go inside the stuff sack, and your spare socks, etc can go into the fleece pocket to add some cushioning.

Nov 15, 2010 at 4:53 am #1664365

Marco A. Sánchez
Member

@marcoasn
Locale: The fabulous Pyrenees

>I'm just curious as to why you don't invert the beanie so that the seam and seam allowance is hidden?

Comfort vs aesthetics?

Nov 15, 2010 at 1:52 pm #1664485

Brian Senez
BPL Member

@bsenez
Locale: Alaskan

Thanks for the pattern, I am new to MYOG and it was an easy project. For the seams on my hat I did a straight stitch then trimmed the excess almost to the stitching, then did a zig zag stitch over that. It looks very clean, the same on both sides, and seems to very strong.

I got some cheap double sided fleece from walmart, and it is very warm and comfortable. My hat weighs in a 34g.

Nov 17, 2010 at 3:58 pm #1665397

Jerry Adams
BPL Member

@retiredjerry
Locale: Oregon and Washington

Just got back from trip and read people's comments

I put seam on the outside for comfort over aesthetics – however it's really just a comfortable the other way, and I think the aesthetics are fine either way also – so it's arbitrary :)

Great you made one Brian – now you're going to become addicted and make other stuff.

I've thought about making pointy ones, or ears, or whatever, but just haven't gone past the fantasizing stage.

Nov 21, 2010 at 9:16 am #1666598

John Davis
Member

@billybooster
Locale: So Cal

i was trying to add only three letter words to the title but I am in the process of making a lined / insulated beanie that has a polyester inner, fleece outer (reversible by default). I would add ONE extra cut and stitch seam so that the hat has ONE 'crown to edge' seam. I have no picture drawing capabilities but if you take a birds eye view f the hat there would be 4 stitches going from crown towards the edge. ONE of them is full length and continues to 2/3 down from crown to edge 180 degrees away. Stop now if my descriptions are poor!!!
The other stitch is perpendicular to that stitch but allows for an elimination of space (wasted and poor insulation) between head and hat. This stitch, after reducing the 'volume' of material, brings that hat closer to your head. I have seen that there is at least one person saying 'why aren't the stitches hidden.. well with a double hat (making two and sewing together, diff materials) they all disappear. The last part is to sew the crown together so it doesn't, in fact, separate and look like a rugby ball!

if anyof that makes sense, please send me the pattern ;) Happy Holidays folks…

Nov 23, 2010 at 8:52 am #1667243

Jerry Adams
BPL Member

@retiredjerry
Locale: Oregon and Washington

If you have polyester inside, it doesn't stretch like fleece, or does it?

If inner doesn't stretch then you'de have to make it bigger to fit, but you want the fleece to be a little tight so it stretches to fit so it stays on your head in the wind. And if there's an inner fabric, there might be less friction between that and fleece so it slides off more.

I don't care if the unfinished seam shows, but that's just me.

But, I don't mean to discourage you. Hat requires so little fabric you can afford to make prototype, try it, modify, iterate until happy. Feed back your experience.
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