I completely forgot to publish this blog post. It has been languishing in the draft folder since before the blog move. Anyway, better late than never, as they always say.

This is my official project for the Amiras June 2010 KAL – the Snapdragon Tam does not count because I cast on before everyone else and finished it before we even officially started.

I’m not a hat person, but I do like the instant gratification you get from knitting a hat. Beret, tam, whatever. It’s in the round, no seaming necessary except to weave in two ends, do a bit of blocking and presto, you have a hat!

I used my leftover Luscious Single Silk from the Shawl That Jazz and still had a bit leftover. The beret looked like this when I was done with the knitting. More like a beanie,right? It came home to have a bath and a bit of rest over a dinner plate through the night.

Then, when I woke up the following morning, it looked like this. What a change, huh? I love just how slouchy it is. On a very bad winter hair day, you could just bunch up your hair underneath this beret and not worry about anyone noticing.

I love how the lace opened up after blocking. Pre-blocking, some people thought they looked like cables and I could have left it at that. But why bother knitting all that lace if you’re not going to show it off right?

I either overstretched it during blocking or did the brim a little too loosely because it’s quite large. Also I didn’t use smaller needles for the brim as directed. I haven’t fixed it yet, but I think I will do the elastic thread solution rather than knit another few rows on the underside oft he brim using smaller needles. Only because I have no cotton yarn of the similar colour to use.

I do love how the brim rolls though. It adds a really soft look to the beret and makes it quite elegant, as opposed to say having a ribbed brim.

Project: Beret in Dubai (Ravel me)
Pattern: Beret de Printemps by Jeni Chase
Yarn: BMFA Luscious Single Silk, colourway Winter Solstice
Needles: 4mm
Cast on: 18 June 2010
Cast off: 24 June 2010
Notes: No changes to the pattern except maybe using a heavier yarn.