Charlene,
I agree, they would definitely have been beautiful hats!  I'm so sorry they'd be too shallow to make totes...I was hoping!  Well, cutting them up would undoubtedly be useful for something!
Hugs,
Melanie  (known to the cat as "Rowr" or "Rowr Rowr") =^.^=

Unfortunately if I turn the brims down it will make for a very small shallow tote.  *sigh*  If all else fails I can cut them up into shapes and sew them on other projects.  SO sad, they would have been really beautiful hats.
Toodles

Charlene,
WOW, those are some REALLY big hats!
I see what you mean...sounds like making them into drawstring purses won't work...how about tote bags?  Could you make straps and turn the "brims" down and maybe tack them down, as well, so they don't look like...hat brims?
Please keep us informed of what you do!
Hugs,
Melanie  (known to the cat as "Rowr" or "Rowr Rowr") =^.^=

The "hats" are large enough to be lamp shades!  The ones that look blue, look that way because the dye washed out.  One of them was purple to begin with.  Those two, I actually put in boiling water to try to shrink them.  The other three I just ran through the washer twice on hot wash warm rinse.  Normally you use cold rinse to stop the shrinking/felting process.  No go on any of them.
Your idea of a draw string purse is what I had in mind but the circumference (sp?) is too big and I don't think that will work.  I'll use them somehow.
I'm going to try one more time to hot wash them and then put them in the dryer to shrink and see if that helps.  Otherwise, I'll put them in a bag on a shelf until I can figure out what to use them for.  I've actually considered shaping them with a coffee can and using polyeurathane to turn them into flower pots.  Don't know if that would work either though.
Time will tell!
Toodles
Charlene

Charlene,
Okay, first the hats...they look so amazing, and I'm sorry to hear they didn't shrink enough.    Since finding a lot of big-headed people is probably not a very good solution (JUST KIDDING!), I like your idea about making purses out of them.  Might you repurpose them as drawstring purses, requiring only a bit more work?  Could you put some kind of elastic in them to still be worn as hats?  (I'm guessing they're too big for that, though.)
The scarf...INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!  Your stiches are so nice and even.  I know that design, but can't think of what it is...that's not a horeshoe cable, is it?
Hugs,
Melanie  (known to the cat as "Rowr" or "Rowr Rowr") =^.^=