Women's Colorful Handmade Crochet Beanie Hat

Extra soft and smooth beanie hat, hand-crocheted with a high quality yarn. Because of the cuddly softness, the hat is incredibly comfortable and feels wonderful against the skin. I used Homespun yarn - a yarn that has a loosely spun, wavy strand that creates a unique texture and appearance. Homespun yarns are luxuriously soft and silky with a nice, subtle sheen

The color in the photos is called Painted Desert and contains vibrant rust, blue, mustard yellow, and teal green along with a subtle taupe brown color that runs throughout the entire strand with the brighter colors set against it. Homespun yarns are silky with a nice, subtle sheen.

Please Note: Each hat I make with this type of self-striping yarn will look different from the others I've made, since it's hard to predict where the colors will show up in the hat.  Generally, the Painted Desert beanies always look similar with the many rich colors this yarn contains, but the striping of the one you receive will probably not match up exactly to the pictures.

SIZE: The hat in the photos will fit best on a head size of 22" (56 cm), but I'm also offering more sizes. Please choose whichever is closest to your own head size. It's always best to go up in size if in doubt.

The hat only weighs two ounces.  It can easily be folded up and stored in a purse or bag.

After a busy year I'm making most items to order (which means I make them after they are purchased).  The handling time in each listing will be an indication of the time it takes me to make the hat.  The handling time for this hat is currently five business days, but if sales are slow, I may get it shipped sooner. (:

Yarn Content: 98% Acrylic/2% Polyester
Yarn Brand: Lion Brand Homespun
Yarn Label Color: Painted Desert
Approximate Height: 7 inches/17.75 cm
Approximate Width (when hat is lying flat): 10 inches/ 25 cm
Thickness: 1/4 inch/ .6 cm

This hat is crocheted "in the round", so only one seam at the top of the hat. The area in the back where I turn to start new rows will look a little different than the rest of the stitches (you can see this in the fifth photo).

CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
Can be washed in cold and dried in dryer on low setting. However, I recommend either hand-washing in cold water and laying flat to dry, or washing on a gentle cycle in a lingerie bag and drying only a few minutes in the dryer. The gentler washing & drying prevents the yarn from frizzing over time. Avoid washing with heavier garments that cause friction. If using washing machine, avoid washing with items that have zippers, buttons, etc that may snag the yarn loops and pull on them or make the yarn fray. The general rule for washing crocheted items and keeping them looking as new as possible: the gentler, the better. (:

Small crocheted items are really easy to hand-wash in a sink, gently roll up in a towel to squeeze out excess water, then reshape and air dry. I like to add just a tiny bit of fabric softener when hand-rinsing to make the yarn even softer and static-free. For hats, I will put it on a baker's cooling rack to allow it to dry faster.

Note: All yarns come with a bit of "factory residue" that causes a little stiffness. This will disappear with regular handling and/or the first wash, bringing out the true softness of the yarn.

U.S. SHIPPING:

I keep shipping to a minimum and offer USPS First Class Package as the best value for price & speed. For multiple orders, I often use Priority Mail. I use the eBay/USPS integrated shipping system whenever possible, so you will be provided with a delivery confirmation number by email. I do combine shipping and already have discounts set up through Ebay, but may be able to reduce shipping costs even more if you'd like to request a total after purchasing multiple items but before paying for them. Once shipped, almost all of my shipments within the U.S. arrive in two to five mailing days.


INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING:

I always combine shipping for multiple orders.  I most commonly use USPS First Class International for shipping outside of the US. First Class International may take a longer time to arrive than other services, but it's much more affordable than Priority International (which usually runs $25 or more for a few ounces). Delivery time for international packages is usually 5 to 15 business days. Customs, bad weather, or national holidays can sometimes slow down a package with the occasional shipment taking around 30 days to arrive. This only happens to about 5% of my international shipments. (:

In the last four years, USPS has raised prices significantly for First Class International, in some cases more than doubling the amount they used to charge before 2013.  On a positive note, as part of that price increase, they include tracking and delivery confirmation as part of the First Class service for almost all the countries I ship to.

To keep shipping costs down, I will use lightweight polymer shipping envelopes as often as possible.  For multiple items, I may find a cardboard box is best.

International Buyers Please Note: Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to buying.

RETURNS:
For now, I am not accepting returns, but am completely open to resolving any problems that may occur. I feel the best strategy is to head off any problems before they even happen. If you have any questions whatsoever about any items I am selling, please ask.

Thanks for looking! (: