Hat Week Day 6: The Outback Hat
Once more unto the breach… Day 6 of hat week.
This is probably my least worn hat of late, it is the dirtiest, it is the lowest quality, it is essentially the worst. But damn it all if I don’t love it. It’s the first real hat I ever bought.
Well that’s not strictly true, there was one other proper hat first. Used to wear it all the time. Unfortunately I only hat it for about 3 months until it got stolen. As such it’s very hard to track down a picture of that hat, so here’s the best I’ve got.
Oh the horrors of youth. And disposable film cameras…. But yes, that was a great hat, it was really inexpensive, and if I saw it again, I’d buy it again.
More info after the jump.
Hat Week Day 5: Tricorner Hat
Hello and welcome to the recommencement (that word is a lot longer than I thought it was) of hat week.
Today we look at probably the strangest hat in my collection: A tri-corner hat. I had fancied one for ages, but the ones that I found online were either too expensive, or they didn’t ship to Ireland, so the interest waned until I purchased a rather shapeless “Fedora hat”. The brim was cowboy wide, but wouldn’t hold a cowboy shape and the band was a thin leather studded number. My brother described it as a “tourist hat”, and although it was a gift for him he took no real interest in it.
After the hat lay around for a few weeks unworn and unloved, I decided to have a crack at making it into a tri-corner hat. That endeavor can be seen here
It’s different, it’s weird, I rarely wear it, but damn it if it’s not a nice hat to stick on while mooching around the garden, or drinking in the sun. More tomorrow.
Hat Week Hiatus: Hat Hair
Hello there and welcome to the hat week hiatus day.
I’d like to take a few moments of your time to talk about hat hair. My hair has been getting steadily longer since the last time I cut it, which was pretty early on this year… or maybe it was last year… I don’t think I’ve cut my hair since I started the blog actually… Getting sidetracked.
Hat hair. It’s apparently one of the reasons that hats are in decline these days, owing to the fact that people are putting much more stock into their hair. Personally I say hat hair be damned, but that’s not going to work for everyone reading this.
It’s pretty simple really: If you’re really worried about hat hair, don’t wear a hat. If you really love hats, your hair isn’t as important as your hats. But there is a crowd of people out there that want to wear hats, but hate hat hair, so for youse: some tips.
1. Buy a light hat. Heavier hats, such as top hats and bowlers, tend to leave a ring around your head where they sit. Buy a straw or canvas hat so the hat is sitting on your hair, not pushing it down.
2. Make sure your hair is dry. If you put a hat on wet hair then it’ll dry in the hat hair position and stay like that all day.
3. Consider a hair cut. Wash your hair, let it dry, put the hat on and talk a walk to your barber or hair stylist. Get them to cut your hair in a style that you like, that’s also hat friendly.
Those are your main tips for today, and doesn’t my hair look good?
I think it does.
Hat Week Day 4: Ushanka
Welcome to day 4 of hat week. Today’s hat is a much more seasonal number, generally a winter hat and very, very snuggly warm on the head. I call it the Mad Russian.
It has ear flaps that can be worn up or down: there’s a little clip that connect them either on the top, as in the picture, or clipped under the chin to keep the wind out. I think you’l agree that it looks a lot more stylish than the usual beanie hats that people wear to keep the cold out, and it’s actually a little less restrictive on the head.
I bought it in Dunnes Stores, an Irish chain store, selling clothes, food, liquor, furniture, home wares… whatever you need really. It was in the impulse buy section near the clothing checkouts, and at 10 euros I couldn’t help but buy it. It was marked “Once size fits all”, and I was wary because generally that means “One size doesn’t fit Dave” but it snugged right on there, and kept my head nice and toasty all winter.
While Dunnes sold them in November of last year, I doubt that they still sell them. Various styles are available at various prices on eBay my favourite of which being the following
So to all those who fancy a big hairy hat, or it’s just a bit chilly where you live, get yourself a trooper hat. The Russians call it an Ushanka.
In case you’re wondering why I’m smiling: yes I am still in pain, and yes Solphadine are awesome.
Hat Week Day 3: Bowler hat
Welcome to day three of hat week, and day one of Dave going on about his injuries. That’s right, this morning I fell while walking down the hill. I twisted my ankle, cut my elbow, there’s some swelling in my knee and my shoulder is absolutely killing me. But enough about that, today’s hat.
Now, this is probably the least favourite of my hats, mainly because it’s not as tall as a derby hat which is what I was expecting when I bought it. However, when I fell today the hard felt of the hat stopped me cracking my head open, so I’m guessing it was a good choice. Lucky. If you want one of these bowlers follow the link. Though I would suggest getting this derby as I think it looks better.
As for my friends on the other side of The Atlantic, head on over to villagehatshop.com for all your hat needs. Some great stuff on there.
…I don’t work for either of these websites by the way, I just like their merchandise.
Hat Week Day 2: Cowboy Hat
Ah hat week. I’ve been putting it off for so very long. I’ve been waiting for a new hat purchase to mark the occasion, but alas, I haven’t been able to get my hands on one. In fact the last hat I got was for Christmas. I say hat, it was 3 hats. Including today’s hat!
Forgive the smirk, but when you put on a hat like this you become John Q. Shitkicker, it’s nigh on impossible to not cop an attitude and feel like you could bounce bullets in a cowboy hat.
It’s the largest one that I could get imported into this country without having to pay massive import fees.
There are lots of articles and things out there about the cowboy hat, and it’s really iconic, especially from an American standpoint, etc etc etc. That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to show you my hat, and then to tell you where you can get one. Yes you! The one on the left… no… HEY! Over here jackass! Yeah you, you want a John Q. Shitkicker hat? Then follow these links.
If you are of the American or Canadian persuasion and you want one of these hats go to The Village Hat Shop and buy it. It’s soft felt so it’s a bit crushable, and it has a wire in the brim so you can shape it. Shape gently though, you don’t want to put a corner in the wire, or you’ll never be able to unbend it. It’s unlined, but you know… it’s cheap.
To those of us in the Old World, make your way over to Hats and Caps and buy one. It’s a great way to start off in the world of hats, unless you want to go to yesterday’s post and check out my information on The Fedora Hat.
More hatness tomorrow. Press 91, then wait for my instruction to press 1 again.
Hat Week Day 1: Fedora
Hello there followers, and welcome to Hat Week with The Mad Carpenter. Now, just a note about hat week; it will be longer than a week because I have more than 7 hats. I think I have 11… either way this is act as a sort of inventory of hats and a vehicle to informing you about the different types of hats there are because generally the only hats that are sold in chain shops (Pennys, Dunnes, Wal-Mart) are things like this
Not that there’s anything in particularly wrong with that hat, it’s just that it seems to be the only choice out there aside from those Cadet Caps or Beanies. Don’t even get me started on baseball caps….
Now. The purpose of hat week is to show off my various hats from the practical, to the ridiculous. So let’s start with a classic: The Fedora.
See the picture of the day and my hat theories and advice after the jump.
Barbecue Tuesday
I’ve called today Barbecue Tuesday because I’m tired of people typing BBQ, and not actually knowing how to spell the word Barbecue.
That and I made myself a barbecue steak for dinner. Just slather it in the sauce and fry it up. Fry on high at first to seal in the juices, and make the sauce mingle in with the meat, and then fry it on low to let the meat cook slowly. Turn occasionally until steak is as cooked as desired. I take mine well done. People hate me for that.
Might take a run to the barber tomorrow. This town is full of barbers and hairdressers. Proper old barbers, that’ll do a shave, and tell you how this country should be run while limping between the clippers and that jar of blue stuff they keep the combs in. Not sure what haircut to get though. Any suggestions are well received.
New Project Monday
Hello there my dozens of fans, readers and well wishers. After getting back to Letterkenny with my workbench, the rest of my tools and clean laundry (Thanks for the lift Ma) I got started on a small project.
Not going to tell you what that project is yet, but I’ll give you a tasty hint in the form of this picture.
*Rolf Harris voice* Can you tell what it is yet?
Spent most of the day consumed with the project, and spent the rest of the day doing very little. Nothing like a bit of tinkering to while away the hours. Has anyone out there started any projects recently? I’d love to hear from you.
Drop a line in the comments section down there, feel free to give me some links. Might even include them in the project post later in the week.
Sunday Sunday
Ah you’ve got to love a nice relaxing Sunday. Well it wasn’t so relaxing because my cough is so bad that I’ve had to stay an extra day at home, and head I’ll head back to my place in Letterkenny on Monday.
Hope you’ve all had a great day, and now hold your breath and prepare for the week.
The Saturday of a barking cough and not making a movie
Planned on making a fake movie trailer today.
It was a trailer for the hotly anticipated “The Daughter of the Son of Lawnmower man”, the mowingest movie of the summer. Just when you thought it was safe to go back among… well, very near to the begonias in a striped pattern.
Never mind. When I’m better, I’ll do that. It’ll be low budget, well no budget. We didn’t do it today because there was no gasoline in the lawnmower… so another day? We’ll do lunch. Don’t call us, get the fuck out of my house.
Remember a while ago when I said you’d be meeting people over the coming weeks? Well her right there is the most important little person, to me, in the world. I call her The Child Woman, because she’s never really been a girly girl. See the plaid shirt for evidence. She collects hats and by gum she’s like a daughter to me.
Hope you all have a great Sunday, or whatever day you read this. Now contact your younger sister and tell her you love her. Because I love mine.
Oh and on a table polishing note, themadcarpenter.com saw it’s 1,000th visitor today, and the page they looked at was the 2,000th pageview in the short 77 day history of this blog. Thanks for all the support.
By the way, the individual visitor that was number 1,000 was from Sligo, or accessing it from the Sligo server. 7 people visited today from Sligo, so if you’re one of them drop me a comment and I’ll give you a little prize.
Friday 20th
Friday morning, everything was fine. Cough was all but gone, took a nice picture in the sunlight coming through my window. Saddled up all my laundry because our dryer is busted, paid the electricity bill, which to my surprise was surprisingly low. 54 euros for 2 months. Surprising isn’t it?
Ate some KFC on the way home, had 4 cans of harp, and bounced on a trampoline for an hour. Now, I’m coughing so hard it’s difficult to not vomit from my eyes and ears.
NURSE!
Thursday 19th
Just watched The Jerk starring Steve Martin.
I now know the difference between shit and shinola. It’s a shoe wax just so you know. But go watch the movie anyway.
Improving on the health front. Going home tomorrow.
The Day after St. Patrick’s
GO. AWAY.
St. Patrick’s Day – The 17th
St. Patrick’s. Or St. Pat’s.
Or even Paddy’s day is acceptable.
But so help you if you call it St. Patty’s. Because Patty is a girls name, an abbreviated version of Patricia, also a girl’s name. That bugs the shit out of me every year. So the above three options are fine.
On to merry making.
The most Irish picture ever taken of me.
More St. Patrick’s fun after the jump.
The Eve of St. Patrick
T’was the night before St. Pat’s and all through the house,
everyone was stirring, all a bit soused.
With pringles and pretzels, whiskey and wine,
All made merry, all were … a tad plastered and some fella spiked his own drink with LSD while we were all drinking this green vodka punch stuff.
I arrived in a suit, owing to the fact that it was the only clean outfit I had in my wardrobe. I didn’t feel over-dressed, but for some reason everyone else felt under-dressed. Strange how confidence works.
Tomorrow, more drinking. As it’s St. Patricks, which I usually despise, but I’ve got a good feeling about this one.
Slothful Sunday
Ah there we are. Rounding out a week of pointlessly titled days, just to add some variance to this project. Hope you all had a good weekend, Because mine was alright despite being sick.
St. Patrick’s started last night you know. Hope you’re all drinking.
Saturday Showdown
…which involved no fighting, but some drinking. The reason I haven’t updated these last few days (It’s now the night of Thursday 19th) is because of both illness and the drinking associated with St. Patrick’s day, and the surrounding weekends and days. Lots of drinking.
In fact, I was drinking today. We went to a club… Red was over, along with Mary’s friend, who’s name now escapes me.
top hat, cowboy hat, fuzzy russian hat
Red, Sin and…. EMMA! Emma? It’s Emma…
Edit: It’s Claire.
More party goodness and the picture of the day after the jump.
Frighful Friday
It’s Friday the 13th again, and as much as I’d like to get out there and freak out the establishment, all I could mange to do today was go into to town to pay the rent, get a bacon sandwich in the chipper and head right back home, and get right back in bed.
I’ll keep you posted children. Being weird isn’t just for Friday the 13th.
Thickness Thursday
This has nothing to do with being thick, but I have a cold so I’m having trouble with my s’s. Bed… all day. Very ill.
Send an attractive Danish nurse.
