Warfield Island Hat #2: The Potato Cloche

Materials: Four felted sweaters (wool, cashmere, angora), an elastic band, a button, thread 

Construction method: hand sewn; pattern may be loosely based from the basic cloche in Eugenia Kim’s Saturday Night Hat (2006), a copy of which is in the island’s archives

Description: This is another oversized piece, which is intended to protect the wearer’s eyes and ears from too much light or noise (“like a potato in the earth”, according to one hat maker). It is reversible, with one side somewhat softer than the other; this allows the wearer to choose which texture will be more suitable in a given mood. The brown ovals on the black panels may literally reference potatoes, a staple food of the Warfield cuisine.