Fulled Helmet Hat

I bought this pattern over a year ago. Again, it's a fulled (felted) project, and I just thought it was really cute, and would be really warm, too. So a week or two ago, in the non-occupied evenings, I started working on it. Last night I finished it, and this morning I shrank it.

I think it looks Medieval-ish, no??

Right now it is stretched, drying over a balloon. Hopefully the balloon's shape doesn't get any funkier, or this hat will be a laugh and a half!

Considering how large it was before shrinking, I thought my husband might land the hat instead of my son. Amazingly, though, it shrank down very nicely. -- Almost too nicely??

Dear Son is fascinated with balloons. I am drying this over one of my heat vents, so it is at Dear Son's level. A while after leaving it on the vent, I caught Dear Son red-handed, tugging on the hat with one hand while desperately trying to release the balloon out of the hat with the other. It didn't matter that I had blown up five other balloons, which were lying all over the house; he wanted this one!

This hat, obviously, is not a surprise gift for Dear Son. I have tried it on him numerous times as it has been drying, and each time I am pleased with the results. Since I have gotten the ties on it, Dear Son is even more pleased, too. He loves a hat!