“When I am old, I shall wear squid.” I think the old poem needs updating - the delightful lady who vowed to wear purple was doing something brave, joyous and just a bit unseemly. Times have changed. Squid is the new purple.

This is one seriously warm hat. Two strands of Lamb’s Pride worsted has felted down to a very sturdy fabric. This is good - my sister lives in Alaska. Lisa Cruse has designed a very versatile, adaptable, lovely hat.

I was experimenting with an icord embellishment when it started to take on a squidly form. About then, I had an enlightening discussion with my brainy and gorgeous college age niece. I told her I was making a hat for her mother and the embellishment was looking sort of squidly. When I asked her if she would wear a squid on her head, she very carefully replied “Only if it was made by the loving hands of someone I cared for.” (This girl should be in ambassador training!) But that’s when it struck me - Squid is the new purple! It takes those of us of a certain age to wear just what we want, even if it is bit absurd, a tad peculiar, or even squidly.

Ok, so back to the embellishment… Since it was headed in a squiddish direction, I just helped it along. And I thought about my sister, who would appreciate a squid sometimes, and thought a flower collar would help the tentacles look like stamens sometimes. So that’s what it does. You can have your basic squid. You can have a wild squidflower. And you can have your basic lovely flower all by itself and leave the squid home on your dresser. I am a nice sister.