I love a slouchy beret. It’s the perfect thing to cover up my (many) bad hair days and still look stylish, but I can rarely bring myself to buy one. The details are never quite right–the ribbing doesn’t flow into the lace pattern, or the crown decreases seem careless–and I, as a knitter, know it can be done better.
The Grace Lace Beret has all of the right details. The cast on is a modified and simplified tubular cast on, and the simple lace pattern flows evenly from ribbing to crown decreases. The yarn, Louisa Harding Grace, is one of my favorites. The 50/50 wool/silk blend has a beautiful halo and just the right amount of drape. It feels delicate, but wears incredibly well, and is–of course–soft as silk. This season Harding introduced Grace in beautiful hand-dyed colors, too. The Grace Lace Beret works up super-fast, which makes it perfect for last-minute holiday gifts.
GRACE LACE BERET
SIZE
One size fits most women
MATERIALS
2 balls of Louisa Harding Grace or Hand Dyed Grace yarn
16” circular and DPN in US 9 or size needed to achieve gauge
set of 5 dpn US 4
crochet hook, waste yarn, stitch markers, darning needle
GAUGE
4 stitches per inch in lace pattern
ABBREVIATIONS
K knit
P purl
DD double decrease, slip two stitches together as if to knit 2 together, knit one, pass two slipped stitches over.
PATTERN
With crochet hook and waste yarn, chain 65 stitches. With working yarn, and US4 needles, pick up 60 stitches from back of crochet chains. Distribute stitches evenly over dpn’s and join in the round, being careful not to twist.
Round 1: (increase round) With working yarn, *k1, yo; rep from * across all stitches (120 stitches)
Round 2: *slip 1 with yarn in front, k1; rep from * across all stitches
Round 3: *p1, slip 1 with yarn in back; rep from * across all stitches
Continue in p1, k1 rib for 1 1/4″ from cast on. Remove waste yarn from cast on.
Change to US9 circular needles and work rows 1-10 of chart 3 times, then work rows 1-6 once. (see below for chart.)
Crown Decreases:
Round 1: *k5, DD, k4; rep from * across all stitches. (100 sts)
Round 2: k 1 round
Round 3: *k4, dd, k3; rep from * across all stitches (80 sts)
Round 4: k1 round
Round 5: *k3, dd, k2; rep from * across all stitches (60 sts)
Round 6: *k2, dd, k1; rep from * across all stitches (40 sts)
Round 7: *k1, dd; rep from * across all stitches (20 sts)
Round 8: k1, *dd, k2; repeat from * to last 3 sts, dd, k1 (15 sts)
Cut yarn leaving 8 inch tail. Draw through rem sts and pull tightly. Weave in end on inside.
Lace Chart
Enjoy your beret! And don’t forget to send us a picture!
Update: We no longer carry Louisa Harding Grace and Hand-Dyed Grace yarn. The Grace Lace Beret can be knit with any DK weight yarn that gives you 5.5 stitches per inch in stockinette. I think Filatura di Crosa Zara yarn would be a great choice.
Philadelphia magazine's Best of Philly 2010 - Best Way to Get Crafty!
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Hi! I just found this on Ravelry and can’t wait to cast on! I am really looking forward to making this hat!
Hi,
as I am knitting this beautiful beret, I can’t stop wandering how you blocked it (flat, on a plate like a regular beret, like a sun, etc) to get it all nice and even and not spiky… I mean, it looks nice with the spikes, but the lace pattern does not show much that way. I will post it on Ravelry when I am done in a couple of days. Happy holidays!
I meant to write “wondering”, not “wandering”, even if I do wander sometimes
Hi!
I just made 2 of them as Christmas gifts:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/LuisaM/grace-lace-beret
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/LuisaM/grace-lace-beret-2
I enjoyed making them and they were both big successes, thank you!
I just used a regular tubular cast on instead of the simplified one – the regular one is pretty simple, and there are online videos to help. The question I have is about the start of the lace pattern. Am I beginning with a purl stitch? Or do I move my end-of-row marker back one space and begin above a knit stitch? If I do it the wrong way, I end up without those lovely arches growing out of the ribbing that motivated me to try this pattern in the first place! Hope my question is clear.
They’re beautiful, Luisa! Glad you like the pattern.
Yes, we blocked it flat on a plate.
I knitted this beret and it looks so great! I really love it, but was a little unsure about blocking it. I was reading that a lot of people blocked it over a plate, but is there a way to block it to make the ribbing not stretch out quite as much as the one pictured at the top? Thanks!
Im doing the first row from the chart and im confused. Do you keep repeating yo, slip 2 stiches together, yo, for the entire 1st row and then once there isnt any yarn on the other needle start row 2????
Please help!
You can never find berets like this!
I have no idea how to knit and ive always wanted to so i was wondering if anyone knew a good website that will teach you everything that you need to know, so that eventually, one day i may be able to make this beret?
Hi, I really like this hat! I’m planning to start it as soon as I finish my current project in a few days.
What would be the best type of yarn to use. Is it being done in worsted weight. Is fingering weight too thin?
Could I use Debbie Bliss yarn or Cascade?
Rosenda, the chart only shows one repeat. You repeat the pattern over the round. Start from the bottom right (1).
So the first row is K 1, YO, K4, SP 2 ST, K4, YO repeated over the round. You start round two after you complete the first round of 60 stitches.
The second round is a row of knit (as are all even rounds).
o hai!
thanks for the pattern and the support, you guys! I love the pattern, but i’m still kind of a beginner so this is pretty much the most complicated thing i’ve ever knitted. i have a question about the pattern…after the second round (s1wyif, k1), it looks like there are three loops where there used to be two. did i mess up? should i do the 3rd round pattern into all 45 loops and it’ll work out?
thanks!
Never mind, I figured out the problem (yif to slip then yib to knit!). Patterns seem to work much nicer when you’re doing them correctly
Love the Grace Lace beret and am working on a sample practice piece — have had no luck with the waste yarn technique of casting on as I couldn’t pull it through the knit on stitches – so I snipped and snipped and finally got it all out (there must be an easier way!)– love the look on the edge. Both yarns I used are about the same weight -what went wrong??
Mary, it sounds like you picked up your stitches from the top of the crochet chain. Next time, lay the chain with the Vs on the table. There will be a horizontal row of bumps that look like purl stitches. These are the backs of the crochet chains. If you pick up your stitches here, you’ll be able to unzip the chain later and avoid needing scissors. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the info – I will be more careful when I do it the next time – and will let you know of my success!
Made one. Loved the pattern, hated my yarn choice. Very excited to start #2. Had absolutely no problems with this pattern and it was my very first patterned and non-scarf piece my mom loves the first one and I love that she wears it. Thanks for sharing!!!
thanx for sharing an amazing pattern !! Bless you!!!
I am working on this beret and it is turning out great, but I do have one question. In the photo there is a ribbed band, but the tubular cast-on that the pattern suggests gave me a different edge. Did I do something wrong? Was I supposed to knit a few rounds of ribbing before starting the lace pattern?
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