Gwendolen was a legendary queen of Briton. She was thrown over for a younger woman by her husband, Locrinus. Feeling rather put out, she amassed an army and defeated him in battle at the river Stour in 1130 C.E.

The lace in this hat reminds me of adornments on Bronze Age helmets and armor. Though Gwendolen was around far later than that, her take no prisoners attitude reminds me of many cancer warriors and friends. The lace in this hat is adapted from the “Garland Lace” pattern from Barbra K. Walker’s Second Treasury Of Knitting Patterns. It requires a bit of that Gwendolen attitude when blocking to fully open up the lace pattern.

This hat is great for the warrior women in your life. Due to the open lace insets, Gwendolen makes a great transitional/ seasonal hat. Modeling this item are the lovely Alicia and Peggy (one of the Vandellas).