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For future reference

January 22, 2007 By grumperina

The ridiculous spoiling of my grandmother continues.

Pattern: simple beret, embellished with a little nubbin.

Details extracted from a variety of sources (Kate Gilbert’s Speckled Beret, Ann Budd’s The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns, Charlene Schurch’s Hats On!, research at local department stores), then chewed up and spit out by yours truly.

I will share the recipe with you, but not in the immediate future – I still have unanswered questions about this whole tam/beret business, and I have books ordered through my library to learn more. Plus, after knitting this beret 4.5 times, can you blame me for wanting to move on? 🙂

Needles: no less than a full menagerie of US 1 and US 2 knitting implements (Boye steel crochet hook, size 2; Susan Bates dpns, US 1 and US 2; Inox aluminum 16″ circs, US 1 and US 2; HiyaHiya 24″ circs, US 2).

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in periwinkle, 1 skein (in its glorious entirety).

Gauge: about 7 stitches and 10 rows per inch.

Finished dimensions: about 11″ in diameter.

Lorna’s Laces continues to meet and surpass my expectations – what other yarn can be entangled in mohair, knit and reknit, and still come out as good as new at the end? Plus, the semi-solid colorways are simply amazing for the kind of knitting I typically do.

I am hoping the beret has just the right volume and drape for my grandma. I definitely can’t envision my grandma liking a stiff fold line, which is why I didn’t block over a plate.

Last, I threaded 2 strands of thin elastic close to the cast-on to keep the beret firmly on the head. I think it makes a huge difference, functionally speaking, without altering the outside at all.

Although obtaining the proper beret shape and size proved to be tricky, I’m so glad I didn’t stop until it was perfect. When it comes to my grandma, “good enough” simply won’t do. I will revisit this entry every time I contemplate ripping and reknitting – sometimes the end product is worth the pain of starting over.

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Comments

  1. amy says

    January 22, 2007 at 5:51 pm

    What a lucky grandma. And, best of all, she seems to know it. Beautiful work, as always. I’m in awe.

  2. jody says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:01 pm

    bravo! it’s great-looking and grandma will know it. enjoy the gift-giving.

  3. Becky says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:02 pm

    You, my dear, are amazing. I wish I had half your patience. hehe

  4. mari says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:03 pm

    I love your beret! But I love your search for perfection even more! Your grandmother will love it!

  5. Lori says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:06 pm

    One word comes to mind:

    tenacious

    I bet Grandma loves it.

  6. anne says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:08 pm

    congrats- the beret looks fabulous! i’m very impressed by your perseverance. i’ve been reading your blog for a few months now (and did the requisite devouring of your archives in under a week) and i’m a hopeless lurker, but all that ripping and reknitting certainly merits a comment! thanks for the great reading!

  7. becky c. says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:12 pm

    I hope Grandma reads your blog so she can see how much you love her. 4.5 attempts – sheesh! You’ve got more patience than I do, that’s for darn sure.

  8. Kristy says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:16 pm

    Very cute! Well worth the effort!

  9. Stephanie says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:21 pm

    Well, if grandmas aren’t worth perfection, no one is. 4.5 times seems to be the charm on this lovely number. Good job.

  10. Kristin says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:22 pm

    Good enough won’t do for my grandmother either. I figure once you are 80 (or so) you have earned certain priviledges. One is obviously have grandchildren knitting until perfect!

    It is gorgeous and I hope she loves it.

  11. Glenna says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:24 pm

    Gorgeous! I just love the colour, and it is such a stylish looking beret for the modern gal, whatever her age. I look forward to the pattern!

  12. margaux says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:34 pm

    beautiful beret! i love it. very stylish and she’s going to love it.

  13. loribird says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:38 pm

    Very nice, definitely worth the effort of getting it right – can I be your grandma too? (There may be a little issue of age, but I’m willing to overlook that detail…)

    Thanks for showing the woven-in elastic; I’d been wondering about the best way to do such a thing, and your method looks very good.

  14. Ruth says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:42 pm

    The beret looks lovely! I was trying to imagine you taking pictures of the top of your own head (while smiling) but decided you must have a partner in crime for such things.

  15. Christy / Not Hip says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:44 pm

    You’re grandma is going to be so stylin’ (as well as spoiled, as grandma’s should be).

  16. Kate says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:48 pm

    You look so much happier now! 🙂

  17. claudia says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:50 pm

    I see more 50 mm lens goodness.

  18. confiance says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:52 pm

    Beautiful job! Love the color.

    And after watching all your attempts with this project, I really want your camera. That’s normal, right?

  19. Lizbon says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:54 pm

    YAY!!! And I agree with your assessment of Lorna’s Laces. It’s superlative stuff.

  20. Donna says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:55 pm

    Really, your smile says it all.

  21. marie in florida says

    January 22, 2007 at 6:55 pm

    goodjob sweetie. no one beats you for stick-to-it-ivness

  22. carrie says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:00 pm

    You got it perfect! Huzzah! It looks wonderful, and your grandma will love it. I think she’s very, very lucky to have such a loving and attentive granddaughter!

  23. Tania A says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:02 pm

    Lucky grandma indeed! I wish I had a grandma to spoil rotten, but mine passed away some time ago. She’d have loved hand-knitted things. 🙂

  24. Nikki says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    I wish you would take a picture with your grandmother wearing the beret. She is fortunate to have a loving grandchild to knit things for her, but you are lucky to still have your grandmother. I miss mine terribly!

  25. Sarah says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:40 pm

    Very cute! I’m sure your grandmother will love it — who wouldn’t?

  26. Allie says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:44 pm

    I think I will knit a beret now… You’ve tempted me

  27. inky says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:53 pm

    I love the shot of you with downcast eyes and that serene smile, compared to scrolling down to the one with the sad puppy eyes. One could do a whole photo essay based on those expressive eyes!

    Oh yeah, beret rocks, too.

  28. angelarae says

    January 22, 2007 at 7:54 pm

    The beret came out gorgeous! Nice job:)

    Ang

  29. Nancy says

    January 22, 2007 at 8:03 pm

    aww.. it came out so cute! your work is perfect, as always.

  30. Lynn says

    January 22, 2007 at 8:14 pm

    Wooohoooooo!

    *mass clapping*

  31. Kim says

    January 22, 2007 at 8:20 pm

    Love it!!! Can’t wait for the pattern. I am presently knitting Le’ Slouch (a beret pattern written by Wendy Bernard). Glad you stuck with it. It really turned out lovely.

  32. heidi says

    January 22, 2007 at 8:29 pm

    It’s incredible! That periwinkle is just the right color to jazz up a grey winter day!

  33. janna says

    January 22, 2007 at 9:02 pm

    it’s beautiful, and perfect. And your grandma deserves to be spoiled – I wish I still had one to spoil….

  34. Lien says

    January 22, 2007 at 9:10 pm

    Not sure if somebody else mentioned this, but there is a book called “Knitted Tams” (I think this is the title) published by Interweave knits that has a whole thing on measuring, etc. Sorry I would have mentioned it earlier but I haven’t checked your blog in a while!! It suggests blocking using a plate!!

  35. Nicole says

    January 22, 2007 at 9:36 pm

    Looks fabulous! Congratulations on finishing – finally!

  36. Laurie says

    January 22, 2007 at 10:05 pm

    Dang, that is cute! I might actually need a beret for myself…

  37. Sheila says

    January 22, 2007 at 10:07 pm

    Superb! Your Gram will love it! Will await your tam pattern. Years ago my Mother made me an angora tam – she was from England – and I remember being the only girl wearing one -whether I wanted to or not! Memories….

  38. Tracy says

    January 22, 2007 at 10:26 pm

    Wonderful! Having just today pulled and re-knit only a single row on my current project 4 times, I can honestly say your perserverance is commendable. Your Gran is a lucky woman. Definitely keep spoiling her, Grandmas deserve it!

  39. Amanda says

    January 22, 2007 at 10:40 pm

    Hey- it looks great! In case you are interested, I just got a book on tams from knitpicks, and it exhaustively goes through the process of making a tam and how to alter sizing, etc.

  40. aj says

    January 22, 2007 at 10:49 pm

    Beautiful!

  41. Jennifer says

    January 22, 2007 at 11:25 pm

    Lovely! I’m glad you stuck with it!

  42. silverarrowknits says

    January 22, 2007 at 11:37 pm

    The beret looks great!

  43. Beth says

    January 22, 2007 at 11:53 pm

    Brava!! It’s beautiful. I’m sure Grandma will lurve it!

  44. Laura Neal says

    January 23, 2007 at 1:42 am

    Very nice! Lorna’s laces is some tough yarn, I have noticed that it holds up well. Grandma is spoiled! Lucky lady!

  45. Sue says

    January 23, 2007 at 5:07 am

    Stunning! You are amazing, grandma will love it.

  46. Angelika says

    January 23, 2007 at 7:01 am

    That’s what I call determination. I think I would have put that project in the box by now, but your grandmother sure seems worth all the effort. What’s next?

  47. AmyP says

    January 23, 2007 at 7:34 am

    Great job – well done on persisting!

  48. kelly says

    January 23, 2007 at 8:08 am

    it’s beautiful! Great job spoiling your Grandma.

  49. Megan says

    January 23, 2007 at 8:08 am

    Delurking to say that that is an awesome beret. Your grandma is a lucky lady. I do so hope you share the pattern with us.

  50. pennie says

    January 23, 2007 at 9:18 am

    Beautiful as usual. Another great gift for grandma.

  51. amy says

    January 23, 2007 at 9:21 am

    beautimous, gorgiferous, absolutely wonderful. and that color? i’m knitting a simple stockinette stocking hat with LL shepherd sock in charcoal right now…there’s just no such thing as “plain” solid with LL. =]

  52. Cara says

    January 23, 2007 at 9:32 am

    I believe a standing ovation is in order.

    Well worth it, I’d say.

  53. Martha says

    January 23, 2007 at 9:51 am

    Very cute! Grandmas should be spoiled.

  54. Jennifer says

    January 23, 2007 at 9:59 am

    Beautiful. And I agree with Martha, Grandmas should definitely be spoiled as much as we can. This project is definitely a testament to the value of patience and persistence.

  55. Martha says

    January 23, 2007 at 11:34 am

    Beautiful, I’m looking forward to your sharing the pattern that you’ve worked and worried so hard to create. From here, the end result looks well worth the effort. I’m sure your Grandma will appreciate the love that has gone into this project.

    (Greetings to the other Martha!)

  56. KathyMarie says

    January 23, 2007 at 11:34 am

    Lovely! And all the slogging through makes it even more special. Grandmas do deserve all the spoiling we can give them.

  57. Jennifer says

    January 23, 2007 at 11:36 am

    It did come out perfect. Your Grandma will love it.

  58. stinkerbell says

    January 23, 2007 at 12:26 pm

    as always… you have found a way to make the perfect beret. Your talent and style amaze me 🙂

  59. Allison says

    January 23, 2007 at 12:45 pm

    Lovely beret, lucky grandma! Lorna’s Laces is fantastic, although the variegated colourways are evil pooling temptresses!

  60. nona says

    January 23, 2007 at 1:23 pm

    Great beret and an excellent example of the knitter’s motto, “if first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try, t, again” 🙂

  61. Beth S. says

    January 23, 2007 at 1:36 pm

    My goodness, that thing is perfect. The size, the shape, just right! 🙂

  62. Sheila says

    January 23, 2007 at 1:52 pm

    You did it! Grandma is a very lucky lady.

  63. tracey in mi says

    January 23, 2007 at 2:06 pm

    It’s truly adorable… however- I will NEVER knit a beret… cute or not—-THAT was a heck of a project… although- now that you’ve perected the pattern… I may be tempted;)

  64. Jomy says

    January 23, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    Your persistance payed off!

    I can really appreciate how persistant you are, now that I know what size needles you used!

    WOW! A whole hat 4.5 times on wee little sock needles!

    That’s dedication.

    I’d have whipped out the credit card so fast…

  65. Kim says

    January 23, 2007 at 2:32 pm

    Wow! What a great product from such a painful journey. It was worth it (and a learning journey, for all of us!)

  66. Kate says

    January 23, 2007 at 3:32 pm

    Perfect!! I’m beginning to feel guilty for not knitting for my grandma…then again, I have 3 daughters to knit for! Your work is always so beautiful!

  67. Alyson says

    January 23, 2007 at 3:41 pm

    You have a pattern in Spring Interweave!!! How WONDERFUL! Congrats on that!

    (Grandma is going to love her beret! Beautiful – and diligent – work!)

  68. Reve says

    January 23, 2007 at 4:04 pm

    it looks beautiful, and you look very pleased!!

  69. Maritza says

    January 23, 2007 at 4:10 pm

    Oh, it is adorable! Great job!

  70. nikki says

    January 23, 2007 at 5:56 pm

    I just saw the IK Spring Preview. Congratulations. 😉

  71. linken says

    January 23, 2007 at 5:56 pm

    Has anyone taken a peek at Interweave knits upcoming issue….. 🙂 congratulations are in order – not just for persisting through the knitted beret project. Way to go! Awesome!

  72. Helene says

    January 23, 2007 at 6:07 pm

    Congrats on the roza’s socks!

    Now I’ve finally posted a pic of my black sea hat on my blog. Thanks for the great pattern 🙂

  73. uberimma says

    January 23, 2007 at 6:20 pm

    That is the most ridiculously Russian-granny-looking headgear I have ever seen on a knitblog.

  74. Sheila says

    January 23, 2007 at 6:38 pm

    Congratulations on your sock pattern in the Spring Interweave!! Looking forward to a new super pattern. Are these socks you made for your Grandma? I do hope you share with her your pattern being published – she will burst with pride!

  75. Carol says

    January 23, 2007 at 7:40 pm

    I just saw the IK preview too! I’m buying a copy just for the sock pattern! I already have some Shepherd Sock in stash for it. Congratulations!

  76. Pat says

    January 23, 2007 at 8:35 pm

    WOW – just saw you in Spring Interweave Knits!! Can’t wait to see those socks up close and personal….The beret is beautiful!

  77. Karen B. says

    January 23, 2007 at 8:41 pm

    It’s a beauty – right down to the little nubbin!

  78. Ashley says

    January 23, 2007 at 9:18 pm

    No wonder you’ve been all about the periwinkle lately, you sneak 🙂 CONGRATS on the Interweave socks!! (I was wearing my Grumperina socks today and thinking about how happy they made me. I crown you queen of socks!)

  79. linda says

    January 23, 2007 at 10:06 pm

    Absolutely perfect, and thank you so much for sharing all of this with us mortals. We are inspired to continue to excel even when we would like to throw some horid work at a wall. You are the queen of doing it right.

  80. frecklegirl jess says

    January 23, 2007 at 10:42 pm

    …a vision in periwinkle.

    🙂

    Can’t wait to see those IK socks in closer detail!

  81. Lotta says

    January 23, 2007 at 11:24 pm

    Kathy, I like to put together Excel spreadsheets for the calculations for my knit patterns. Cracking the code on the increases or decreases for a circle are pretty easy that way. No standard equation will do, because it depends on the ratio of your row and stitch gauge. If you’re doing decreases, enter your # of stitches in one cell, row gauge in one, and stitch gauge in one. Then calculate the number of rows from that point to the center of the circle by r=#stitches/(2*pi)*(rowgauge/stitchgauge). Then you’ll have to figure out how many stitches to decrease per row, so do s/r=#stitches/#rows (the one you just calculated). Once you’ve got that set up, all circles are a piece of cake. 😉 Or PI 🙂

  82. diana says

    January 24, 2007 at 10:15 am

    Lovely and grandma deserves a little spoiling!

  83. Cathy says

    January 24, 2007 at 6:18 pm

    Yeah!! It looks great!!

  84. Karma says

    January 26, 2007 at 12:14 am

    Your tenacity is definitely inspiring. And those modeling shots are lovely! Grandma will certainly love this beret.

  85. Sam says

    January 26, 2007 at 6:32 am

    Very nice! It’s a really cute hat. I like the socks too! What a great idea to name them after one’s grandmother.

    Sam

  86. Susan says

    January 26, 2007 at 10:18 am

    Kathy

    Did you see the latest KnitPicks catalog? Some wonderful Tam patterns.

  87. Tiffany says

    January 26, 2007 at 3:31 pm

    All that hard work paid off. I can’t wait to see the pattern eventually!! Great idea with the elastic too.

  88. Michelle says

    January 27, 2007 at 1:05 am

    Bon Jour! It looks fantastic!

  89. TracyKM says

    January 28, 2007 at 6:22 pm

    I wish I had a grandma to spoil! I love the periwinkle colour. My older daughter looks fabulous in it.

    I’ve never added elastic to anything knitted. How do you join it? I’m always afraid that it’ll go sproing and the knot come undone. I think I must be missing a simple detail because everyone always recommends doing it (and I have a hat that needs it, LOL)

  90. H says

    February 25, 2007 at 12:23 am

    I am thinking a lot about tams now too. There are so many construction techniques, including flat! Yours is a work of art.

    H

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