Knit Hats or Wool Hats
A knit cap, originally of wool is designed to provide warmth in cold weather. Wool is very unique natural fiber for the fact that it retails heat even when wet. This makes the wool hat a good option in cold & wet areas. It is important to note that now a days the knit cap is often manufactured with synthetic fibers as well as wool. You can view the care label on the hat to see the actual fibers utilized.
Typically, the knit cap is of simple, tapering constructions, though many variants exist. You can even find many wool hats produced to look like animals with ears and all.
The wool knit cap has been an extremely common form of headgear well over a century. This headwear is common for people that work on or by the sea and in cold weather regions around the world.
The knit cap goes by a variety of local names on various regions. Other common names around the world for a knit cap include: sock hat, knit hat, "bonnet", sock cap, stocking cap, tossel cap, ski hat, "toboggan" (Southern American English), burglar beanie, watch cap (American English), woolly hat, snookie, sugan, or chook.
In some parts of the English-speaking world, this type of knitted hat is traditionally called a "beanie" rather than "knit cap". In parts of Canada and the US, the word "beanie" is used to denote a completely different less floppy cap that is not knitted, but rather made up of joined panels of felt, twill or other tightly woven cloth.
The knit cap is also known in Canadian English: tuque (pronounced /ˈtuːk/; also spelled touque or toque in Canadian English), a word closely related to the French word toque, originally referring to a traditional headwear and now used for type of chef's hat (short for toque blanche, meaning "white hat").
A knit cap is commonly referred to as a "watch cap" by members of the United States military, as it is the head gear worn while "standing watch" on a ship or guard post. The term "snookie cap" is also frequently used in the US military.
A knit cap with ear flaps is often called a bobble hat, toboggan, or sherpa.
Knit caps are common in cold climates, and are worn worldwide in various forms. They have become the common headgear for stereotypical dockworkers and sailors in movies and television.
Wool Hats are often referenced as Knit Hats, but not always:
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against the elements, ceremonial reasons, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Some hats have a protective function and others are worn simply because they look cool.
When discussing wool hats, we should point out that they are not only the typical knit hat. Below are a few examples of hats made of wool. Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, angora from rabbits, and other types of wool from camelids. Wool has several qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it is crimped, it is elastic, and it grows in staples (clusters).
St. Clement, the patron saint of felt hatmakers, is said to have discovered wool felt when he filled his sandals with flax fibers to protect his feet, around 800 AD.
Beret: A soft round cap, usually of woollen felt, with a bulging flat crown and tight-fitting brimless headband. Worn by both men and women and traditionally associated with Basque people, France, and the military. Often part of [European?] schoolgirls' uniform during the 1920s, '30s and '40s.
Chullo: Peruvian or Bolivian hat with ear-flaps made from vicuña, alpaca, llama or sheep's wool.
Tuque: In Canada, a knitted hat, worn in winter, usually made from wool or acrylic. Also known as a ski cap, knit hat, knit cap, sock cap, stocking cap, toboggan, watch cap, or goobalini. In New Zealand, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, the term "beanie" is applied to this cap.
If you enjoy staying warm in a knitted wool hat, you may also want to learn about mittens, gloves, snow pants, and winter boots (snow boots) as well.
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