Summer Hats

I've been wearing some really lovely hats this past five or so weeks, ever since the hair all fell out (see my cancer blog for explanation of that, unless you've already been reading it).  My friend Timary crocheted some lovely tams for me (see post below for photo of the one she made from my handspun), and I have a velvet hat that is just cute as a button (or at least, it is cute as a velvet hat with a big old flower on it).

Okay, you can't see that very well, but it's a hat with a band, to which the slightly poufy top is sewn above and to which the brim is sewn below, with the velvet rose attached (to hide the band's seam, as well as to look decorative).  The brim can be left down all around, per this photo (taken with computer camera, which is why it's not very good) or the front can be folded upwards, which is jaunty and fun.

But these are all Cool Weather Hats, and suddenly after months and months of snow and ice and frigid temps, spring is coming in a huge rush.  Now all my beloved hats are making my head sweat!!

Mom and I went to the local wig/hat store, and to Target.  We searched for hats, we peered at hats, we patted and pinched and fondled hats, we even tried hats on. 

Unfortunately, we learned a couple things.

1.  I don't look particularly good in caps, and all the hats that are out currently seem to be either big froufrou Easter Bonnet/Go To Church hats (lovely, but not for general wear) or billed caps.  I need a frame for my face, and to add some balance, since my head is relatively small in comparison to my body.  Not a HUGE frame - those big 'garden hat' brims are hard to manage, and tend to want to fly away in even a slight breeze.  I don't want to constantly hold onto my head, or worry about my poor bald scalp being exposed.  The above hat serves the purpose well, while still sitting snugly on the head and not threatening to turn me into a remake of The Flying Nun (my goodness, I imagine that reference ages me!)

2.  The colors this season seem to be brown, tan, brownish-gray, white, or red.  I do not look good in brown or red, and even a nice silvery gray gets a bit dull and anonymous after a while.  If I'm going to wear a hat, I want to look festive and I want to have fun with it.  I like white well enough, but it gets dirty quickly when you are sweaty... and women with hot flashes sweat a LOT in Minnesota summers.  Frankly, so do most of the rest of us Minnesnowtans.  But let's face it, I am a woman with many, many hot flashes, and I am a woman who does not 'glow'.  So even though white theoretically goes with just about everything, it's not going to work as a 'running errands and visiting friends' hat.  And a whole wardrobe of white hats would be a bit monotonous.

So I'm wondering if anyone has some patterns for hats similar to the above (or knows where they might be obtained), so that mom and I could sew up a few in fabrics and decorations of my choice?  Wide-brimmed cloches or moderately floppy-brimmed hats that can be folded up in front, that would look cute with flowers or pins or random balls of yarn stuck on them?**


** Well, okay, that last one was a joke.  Probably.  Except at a fiber arts gathering - then all bets are off.