Where could I find?

General Knitting
1

I have a friend who is making the wide brimmed summer hats out of cotton yarn. She thinks there is a teeny, tiny nylon cable that can be crocheted into the outer edge of the brim to make it stiffer.

You guys all seem so knowledgeable, I thought I’d ask here. Anybody know of anything like that?

2

I Googled Millinery wire and found some. Not sure how you’d knit it in, but maybe… :shrug:

http://www.farthingales.on.ca/millinery_wire.php
http://www.hatsupply.com/wire.htm

Google it for more sites.

3

Thanks so much! I’ll give it a try.

4

Millinery wire will make it stiffer, all right; make sure that’s the kind of stiff you want – if you bend the edge, it’ll bend, for instance, and hold the bend. If you bend it back and forth too many times, it’ll break. I’ve worked with it rather a lot as both a costumer and for Irish dance costumes and bridal headpieces. It’s essentially wire wound around with thread, make sure you use the proper way to attach the ends into your hoop (you can wind the ends around each other, or try overlapping and winding your own thread around).

If all you want is to make it a bit stiffer, not so it will hold a shape, you can use a horsehair braid if you can hide it (not actual horsehair, these days), or use anything from thick monofilament (fishing wire) to tennis string (really).

I’ve often wandered the hardware store aisles thinking what would make good costume bits…I know, I know, getting a life is fun.

5

Thanks so much. I’ll pass it on!

6

[color=#300090]In hardware, ask for trimmer line for weed and grass trimmers. It comes in different thicknesses diameters and shapes. The round style would work best, I think.

Plastic canvas might be an option to stiffen a hat brim.

With plastic, you have no worries about water causing rust.[/color]

7

I’ve heard of using the wire out of one of these pop up trash cans
http://www.mydiscountwholesaler.com/popup-collasible-portable-trash-can-p-1907.html

or this is a pattern for a fabric sewn hat, but they sell the wire separtely too.
http://birchstreetclothing.com/group.php?itemID=9008&colID=12