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Aknit cap, colloquially known as abeanie, is a piece ofknitted headwear designed to provide warmth in cold weather. It usually has a simple tapered shape, although more elaborate variants exist. Historically made ofwool,[1] it is now often made ofsynthetic fibers.
Found all over the world where the climate demands warm clothing, knit caps are known by avariety of local names. InAmerican English, this type of hat is known as abeanie or awatch cap, while inCanadian English, a knit cap is known as atoque, ortuque (pronounced/tuːk/).
Most knit caps are tapered at the top. The stretch of the knitting itself hugs the head, keeping the cap secure. They are sometimes topped with apom-pom or loose tassels. Knit caps may have a folded brim, or none, and may be worn tightly fitting the head or loose on top. A South American tradition from theAndes Mountains is for the cap to have ear flaps, with strings for tying under the chin. A special type of cap called abalaclava folds down over the head with openings for just the face or for the eyes or mouth only.
Some modern variants are constructed as a parallel-sided tube, with a draw-string closure at one end. This version can be worn as a neck-warmer with the draw-string loose and open, or as a hat with the draw-string pulled tight and closed.
Dating from the 15th century,[2] the earliest type of knitted wool cap was produced in theWelsh town ofMonmouth.[3]
The earliest surviving example of a "Monmouth cap" is held byMonmouth Museum and was knitted from coarse 2 ply wool. The cap was made by casting on at the lower edge and knitting in the round towards the top. The crown consists of a classic rounded top, with the last remaining stitches cast off. The yarn tail was wrapped around just below the castoff stitches to gather them, leaving the little lump commonly, but inexactly, referred to as a button. The doubled brim was formed by picking up stitches inside the body of the cap, and worked down to the original cast on. The cast on loops were picked up, and a 3 needle bind-off worked to finish and join the inner brim to the outer cap, ending with a little loop.[citation needed]
Each hat was made weatherproof by felting, a process which reduced its size.[4] The distance from the centre to the hem in this example varies between 5 and 6 inches (150 mm).[5]Thousands of Monmouth caps were made, but their relatively low cost, and the ease with which the knitting could unravel, means that few remain.
Historically, the wool knit cap was an extremely common form ofheadgear for seamen, fishers, hunters and others spending their working day outdoors from the 18th century and forward, and is still commonly used for this purpose in the northern regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and other cold regions of the world.[citation needed]
Being found all over the world where climate demands a warm hat, the knit cap can be found under a multitude of local names. In parts of theEnglish-speaking world, this type ofknitted hat is traditionally called abeanie. However, in parts ofCanada and the US, the word 'beanie' can additionally be used to denote adifferent design of brimless cap, which is floppy and made up of joined panels offelt,twill, or other tightly woven cloth rather than being knitted.[citation needed]
A knitted cap with ear flaps is often called atoboggan, orsherpa.[citation needed] The termtoboggan is also sometimes used for knitted caps inSouthern American English.[3]
Members of theUnited States military commonly refer to a knitted cap as awatch cap, as it is the headgear worn while "standing watch" on a ship or guard post. InWestern Pennsylvania English (Pittsburghese), it is known as atossle cap. It may also simply be called awinter hat.
Other names for knitted caps includewoolly hat (British English) orwool hat (American English);bobble hat,sock hat,knit hat,poof ball hat,bonnet,sock cap,stocking cap,skullcap,ski hat,sugan,chook anddut (in Hartlepool, England)
The pull-down knit cap that goes from the crown over the ears and around the neck, with a hole for the face, was known in the army of theBritish Empire as anUhlan cap orTemplar cap.[6] During theCrimean War, handmade pull-down caps were sent to theBritish troops to help protect them from the bitterly cold weather before or after theBattle of Balaclava.[7] The cap became popularly known aBalaclava helmet or justbalaclava among the soldiers.[8]
InScandinavia, caps resembling a typical knit cap with a pom-pom have been in use since theViking Age and possibly earlier. The termstophue (Danish),topplue (Norwegian),toppluva (Swedish) mean 'top cap', and refer to the pom-pom.
The Viking-ageRällinge statuette, possibly a depiction of the godFreyr, wears what might be a pointed cap with pom-pom.[9]
Early caps were probably sewn or made withnålebinding, but were knitted from the 17th century onwards, when knitting became known in Scandinavia. Inspired by thephrygian cap of theFrench Revolution, it became largely ubiquitous during the 18th and 19th century. It is still found in many of the Scandinavianfolk costumes for men.[10]
InCanadian English, a knit cap is more commonly known as atoque (pronounced/tuːk/; also spelledtuque ortouque). It is traditionally made of wool and worn in the winter,[11] though in recent years knittoques have resurfaced as an extremely popular daily fashion item. They are used all year round, not only outdoors for weather but as an indoor fashion accessory.
Toque is also commonly used acrossNew England, especially among the working class.[citation needed] In Michigan'sUpper Peninsula, it is called achook orchuke.[3]
The termtuque is French Canadian. It is widely known inQuébecois culture as can be seen through its usage inLa guerre des tuques.
TheCanadian-English term was assimilated from theCanadian-French wordtuque, and first appeared in this context around 1870.[12][13][14][15] The fashion is said to have originated with thecoureurs de bois, French andMétis fur traders, who kept their woollen nightcaps on for warmth during cold winter days. This spelling is attributed to a number of different sources, one being fromMiddle Breton, the language spoken byBreton immigrants at the founding ofNew France. In Old Breton, it was spelledtoc; in Modern Breton, it is spelledtok, meaning simply 'hat'.
The French Canadian term likely has its origins with the long hats that were worn by theVoyageurs as they traversed westward on the rivers of North America. The term was picked up by theBlackfeet and enteredChinook Jargon, spreading to thePacific and theKlondike. Another source suggests that it is a Francization of the Spanishtocar, to touch, as the long "end of the sock cap" of the Voyageurs hung down and touched their shoulders;[16] yet another source suggests that the word is borrowed from "the old Languedoc dialect wordtuc" meaning "summit" or "the head of a mountain".[17]
The Canadian English spelling oftoque, on the other hand, is borrowed from the original usage (seeToque). Toques include conical or plumed hats from previous centuries, thetall white hats worn by chefs, and modern snug hats.[18] This spelling (toque) also appears in the 1941Dictionary of Mississippi Valley French as a "style of hair-dressing among the Indians". This was a tall, conical hairstyle not unlike the shape of the Voyageur cap described above.[19]
Dictionaries are divided on the matter of spelling, with theGage Canadian preferringtoque[20] and theNelson Canadian listingtuque[21] (theNelson Gage of a few years later would settle ontoque). The firstDictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles lists separate entries and definitions for bothtoque andtuque which cross-reference each other. An illustrative line drawing is presented with the latter.[22] Perhaps most importantly, theCanadian Oxford chosetoque,[23] and as theCanadian Press Stylebook bows to theCanadian Oxford as the final word in spelling, most Canadian publications have followed suit.
Though the requirement of thetoque to have a pom-pom or no can be a hard line for some Canadians, most of the country agrees: one of these three spellings must be “correct,” no matter what the hat's shape may be.[24] As theCanadian Encyclopedia claims, “We all know a tuque when we see one, [we just] can’t agree on how to spell the word."[25]
The toque is similar to thePhrygian cap, and, as such, a red tuque during the 1837Patriotes Rebellion became a symbol ofFrench-Canadian nationalism. The symbol was revived briefly by theFront de libération du Québec (FLQ) in the 1960s.[a] Despite this, the toque is also considered a symbol ofCanadian identity, due to its ubiquity among English and French Canadians alike. It is also notable for having been the headwear ofSCTV'sBob and Doug McKenzie.
The word is also occasionally spelledtouque, though this is not considered a standard spelling by theCanadian Oxford Dictionary. In 2013,CBC Edmonton launched a poll to ask viewers how they spelled the word. The options given weretoque,tuque ortouque. Nearly 6,500 people voted, with Edmontonians remaining divided on the issue.[24] Thoughtouque was voted most popular in that instance, there is almost no formal usage to support its popularity. In some sections of Canada, a tuque with a brim on it, commonly worn by snowboarders, is nicknamed abruque (a brimmed tuque).[26]
In England, a knit cap may be known as abobble hat, whether or not it has a yarn "bobble" orpom-pom on top.[3]
Bobble hats were traditionally considered utilitarian cold-weather wear. In the early 21st century they were considered popular only withgeeks andnerds. A surprise rise in popularity, driven initially by theGeek-Chic trend, saw them become a fashionable and with a real fur bobble, luxury designer item.[27][28]
In the late 20th century, in the United Kingdom, they (like theanorak) were associated with utilitarian un-fashionability or with olderfootball supporters, as they had been popular in club colours during the 1960s and 1970s.[29][30] Along with the pin-onrosette and thefootball scarf, the bobble hat was seen as traditional or old-fashioned Britishworking-class football regalia.
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Knitted caps are common in cold climates, and are worn worldwide in various forms. They have become the common headgear for stereotypical dockworkers and sailors in movies and television.Bill Murray wore this type of hat inThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, possibly as a parody of the red tuque (orPhrygian cap) worn byFrench oceanographerJacques Cousteau.
Michael Nesmith ofThe Monkees also wore a knitted cap in his television series, as didJay in the films of theView Askewniverse,Robert Clothier's character "Relic" in the long-running Canadian TV seriesThe Beachcombers, andHanna-Barbera's characterLoopy de Loop wore a knit cap as well.Michael Parks wore one as James "Jim" Bronson in the popular seriesThen Came Bronson.Robert Conrad also had worn one in his role ofcoureur des bois in the epic TV seriesCentennial.Bruce Weitz's character Mick Belker wore this hat throughout almost every episode ofHill Street Blues.
Everest from the seriesPAW Patrol wears ateal knit cap withwhite trimmings that she is rarely seen without.
Characters in the animated seriesSouth Park, includingEric Cartman andStan Marsh, usually wear knitted caps.Jayne Cobb from the TV seriesFirefly wore an orange sherpa knitted and sent to him by his mother in the episode "The Message". The character Compo on the British TV showLast of the Summer Wine is almost always seen wearing a knitted cap.
Edd fromEd, Edd n Eddy wears a black, loose knit cap almost every time he's on screen, which covers something on his head that he's embarrassed about.
The guitarist for theIrish bandU2,The Edge, is also known for wearing a knitted cap while performing, or during interviews.Tom Delonge, guitarist and vocalist of thepop punk bandBlink-182 is also known to wear a knitted cap during live performances.Rob Caggiano, music producer and former guitarist for thrash metal band Anthrax, is often seen wearing a black one. Lee Hartney fromThe Smith Street Band is regularly seen in a black knit cap, even during an Australian summer. CanadianDaniel Powter also wore a blue knitted cap during the music video for "Bad Day". Knitted caps are also worn commonly byhip hop artists. Masao Inaba fromRevelations: Persona wears one.
Santa Claus is often shown with a knitted cap or a sewn cap following the typical Scandinavian-style knitted cap with a pom-pom, a trait he has inherited from the Germanic/Scandinavian tradition. The Scandinaviantomte is likewise usually depicted with a red knitted cap, such a cap is also used as a national symbol (sometimes negatively) inNorway.[31]
Famous instances of tuques (the Canadian knitted cap) in pop culture include:
My Mum had knitted My New Hat [sic]. It was a navy blue and white striped bobble hat, quite like a million others worn by football fans everywhere.[dead link]
The bobble-hat and scarf brigade were rarely attacked directly, though lads wearing scarves were sometimes considered fair game.
Media related toKnit caps at Wikimedia Commons
