Josef's Beret

Josef's Beret by Cheryl Andrews

What is Being Made

Josef's Beret is a stylish adult-sized felted beret designed by Cheryl Andrews as part of the Wooly Bear Hand Knits collection. This quick knit project creates a versatile hat that can be worn with the top folded to the side, back, or front, offering multiple styling options. The beret is intentionally designed to be felted in a standard washing machine, which transforms the knitted fabric into a denser, more structured finished garment.

Techniques Used

Knitting in the Round: The beret is constructed using circular knitting techniques, which creates a seamless, tubular fabric. This method is efficient and produces a professional finish without the need for seaming.

Machine Felting: The finished knitted beret undergoes machine felting, a process that shrinks and densifies the wool fibers through agitation and heat in a washing machine. This technique dramatically changes the fabric's appearance and structure, creating the characteristic felted beret texture and shape. The felting process allows the knitter to customize the final dimensions based on desired shrinkage.

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates ribbing as a foundational stitch element. Before felting, the relaxed ribbing measures 22 inches, providing structure and elasticity to ensure a comfortable fit around the head. The specific stitch pattern details are worked in worsted weight yarn on the specified needle sizes to achieve the correct gauge.

Materials

Yarn: Josef's Beret requires approximately 2.5 ounces of worsted weight wool yarn suitable for felting, totaling roughly 150 yards. Recommended yarns include Malabrigo (pure merino wool) and Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride (a wool and mohair blend). Single twist yarn worked well in testing. The pattern notes that Malabrigo worsted produces a slightly thinner and lighter weight finished beret compared to Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted.

Needles: The pattern requires size 10 double-pointed needles or a size 10 16-inch circular needle, plus size 11 double-pointed needles. Additionally, a size 11 16-inch circular needle is recommended to make the project easier, though it is not essential. The use of circular needles is optional but may streamline the knitting process.

Gauge and Sizing

Before felting, the gauge is 14 stitches by 18 rounds over 4 inches when knitting in the round on size 11 needles. The pre-felted beret measures 11½ inches in diameter, with relaxed ribbing at 22 inches. The final dimensions after felting are customizable based on individual washing machine settings and desired shrinkage.

Difficulty Level

Josef's Beret is rated as an intermediate knitting project, making it suitable for knitters with some experience in circular knitting and basic shaping techniques. The straightforward construction and quick completion time make it an accessible intermediate project for expanding knitting skills.