Posted by Magnus Smith on January 16, 2014 at 04:19:09 user Magnus.
In Reply to: Amazonian headgear (new thread) posted by John Wilson on January 16, 2014 at 01:42:06:
The word "knitted" surely does imply wool! I went looking for knitting references. Nurse knits. Mrs Swainson knits. The Admiral knits. Mrs Whittle knits (and loses it overboard). Even the Great Aunt knits (with green wool).
Best of all, Peter Ducks knits Gibber a stocking cap! And it is that phrase which interested me. Does the word "stocking" here imply a long hat, longer than the head, which hangs down in a 'Wee Willie Winkie' stereotype way?
Does this mean that use of the word "cap" in S&A implies the Amazon's headgear does not flop over? Ahh, but you need to check this quote from Secret Water, when the Amazons first arrive:
Someone in a red stocking cap was steering.
Somewhere there is a photo of AR in one of those long dangly stocking caps. I cannot find which book it is. But there are many more pictures of him sailing in skull caps! He was also known for his 'squashy' hats; there are quotes from others about those, and several photos of them coupled with fishing attire. Farther back in time he had trilby style hats and yachting caps.