“It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire; how little it is biased by the texture of their muslin, and how unsusceptible of peculiar tenderness towards the spotted, the sprigged, the mull, or the jackonet. Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone. No man will admire her the more, no woman will like her the better for it. Neatness and fashion are enough for the former, and a something of shabbiness or impropriety will be most endearing to the latter.” —Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey While this quote from Northanger Abbey holds a certain truth, I find that if a woman does want to get a man’s attention, she should wear a lovely hat. In Jane Austen’s time, a lady would not leave the house without a bonnet gracing and protecting her head. In winter, a hat shields the head from the cold, and in the summer, a hat protects a lady’s skin from the sun. Finished Size: 19½ ( 21½, 23½)" crown circumference. Yarn: Schaefer Yarn Miss Priss (100% Merino; 280 yd [256 m]/4 oz [113 g]): Pomegranate (MC), 1 skein; thistle (CC) 1 skein. Needles: 8 (5 mm): 4 doublepointed (dpn). Adjust size if necessary to obtain correct gauge. Notions: Markers (m); tapestry needle. Gauge: 18 sts and 28 rows = 4" in St st. Originally Published: Jane Austen Knits Fall 2012
