Did you know that one of the names for the bobble hat in German is "Pudelmütze" - "poodle hat"?
I have to admit that I never knew why it was called that. My guess would have been the fancy haircut of some poodles, but some say that the name goes back to the 18th century when the hats were made from fur, for example lambswool, and reminded of the curly coat of a poodle. Maybe it's a mix of both.
One German word for the bobble is "Bommel" which derives from the French word "pompom" that is used in other languages as well.
Now that you have learned this important information, you may want to know how the bobble ended up on hats.
In fact, bobbles have been around for a long time, but they became really popular thanks to European soldiers wearing them on their caps. Not only did they show the affiliation to a certain regiment, but they also protected sailors' heads in the tight spaces on ships!
My little bobble hat has been needle felted first, then I embroidered it with beads both on the hat and the pom-pom. The choices of color are of course not coincidental although this is not a Santa hat, his hat has a hanging down tip and pom-pom.
Let's call it a Santa inspired winter bobble hat :-)
So cute! And how interesting that the bobble protected sailors heads in cramped spaces.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
Thank you, Michelle! :-)
DeleteAnd see, I made you learn something.
I love learning new things! :D
DeleteMichelle
That is really cute! It's so perky and cheerful, and if it were life size, I'd happily wear it. Dawn :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dawn!
DeleteIt really took me back in time, especially to one occasion when I was a child (you have seen the picture before) and was wearing a bobble head, only that it wasn't red.