Making a hat block

Hat blocks, I have discovered, are not that easy to come by.  You can get them on Ebay or Etsy, but they are quite expensive.  I found one source here where they are quite reasonably priced especially if you live in the States. Shipping outside the US however, can start to add up.  Being impatient to get started, I decided to try and make my own.  I searched about the local thrift stores to find a hat that I could use as a mold, but I couldn't find any that I thought were sturdy enough. I dug through my own things and came up with a woven hemp cloche that I thought would do.

First, I lined the hat with plastic wrap to protect it from getting damaged. Then I filled it with this stuff:

It says on the can that it expands about 50% and it does, but slowly. I overfilled it of course but it was easy to carve back down to the shape I wanted.

I covered the whole thing in duct tape to protect the form and also to protect my wool from getting covered in little crumbs of foam.

I am really pleased with how it turned out. I am going to make a really tall dome next.