From: "Chris Jackson" <duncan@frii.com>
To: "Jack Finch" <pezzo4balloons@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Free form hats
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 01:35:18 -0600

Greetings, All.


>Hi Twisters:
> Do you all make hats that "look like something" or do you just make them
>up as you go along? I have been doing the later with fairly good results.
>The kids ask for "crazy hats". I make the basic hat put whatever strikes me
>at the moment on the top.

When a person asks me for a hat, I usually ask "What Kind?"  I have enough
'named' hats in memory to accomidate almost anyone.  These include: Indian
hat, (1-balloon with the tail sticking up, i.e. *boring*) bike helmet,
football helmet, roller-coaster hat, princess tiara, viking hat, royal
crown, flower hat, rose hat, Shark/Dolphin/Whale hat, (variations on a theme
that I learned from John Holmes.) Spike & Super Spike, (T.Myers) Devil
Horns, (Or team horns depending on the colors.) Mouse ears, Turban,
(T.Myers) Mohawk, Rapunzel, Corkscrew, (Basic helmet with a 2nd balloon
spiraled around the top) Jester's cap, valkarye hat, as well as a number of
others whose names escape me at the moment...(It's late, I'm tired...)

Having a name for a particular design can be a big plus!   All too often I
have a child who wants a hat that is "Just like that other one!..."  But I
have no idea what that "other one" was.  Giving each design a name, even a
silly name, helps both you (To remember what you did before) and the child
(to let you know what he/she wants) to reach an agreement.

I can't begin to count the number of kids who wanted the "Hat with a ball in
it!", but when they ask for the "Roller-Coaster Hat" then I know *exactly*
what they want.

Names *are* important!

Chris Jackson
Ft. Collins, CO.