Beret Picking

Same pattern, two techniques - how different can the result be?

The pattern is Lynne Johnson's "All Sorts Beret" from Canberra Mothercraft Society's Keepsakes from Mother's Table.

The "Monet Beret" is knitted in a hand-painted wool bought cheaply at St V de P. It knits to about a 10ply and Spidey reckons it's definitely Lorna's Laces. Don't know about that, but it's gorgeous to knit with and the variegation is very entertaining. This is for the TASDA raffle but I haven't been able to let it go just yet. I do have enough wool to knit myself another and there will be scraps to use as the basis for a truly All Sorts Beret, like this one.

The finished fabric is embraided with the joined yarns. Here I've been making french knots (well my version of them, anyway). With the hairier yarns, I've left a little bit hanging out the top of the knot for a more depth. It will be finished soon but I think I'm going to have to keep it.

There will definitely be more of these. I'm falling in love with working the colours and textures and can see all sorts of possibilities for finishing: completely hairy (looked great when Monica tried it on before I started embraiding) or i-cording the ends back, or running stitching the ends in patterns. Or different shapes, like a toque.