Raspberry Beret

This page has a pattern generator (aka program) to create a pattern to help you knit a beret using a knitting machine. If you want to hand knit a very similar beret, visit the hand knit beret page. You can make your hat in any yarn; just enter the gauge in the program, and you'll get the pattern you need.

Main site, blog (read the latest), hat collection, and Poncho & Cape collection.

You must set your browser to run javascript and to accept cookies to run this program. With some browsers, the address bar should also read "http://www.thedietdiary" at the beginning. If the www's aren't there, stick them in!

Characteristics of the hat:

Knit sideways using short rows.
Small roll brim.
You may vary the band size to fit any head, and you may also vary the overall diameter of the hat.

Remember: Like all patterns spit out by my generators, this is mostly shaping directions. The purpose of the generators is to let you be creative, while eliminating the need to do pesky calculations. This generator will let you make exactly the hat shown, but I encourage you to add your own touches.

Lucia

Design your hat

To design your hat you must pick a head diameter, an outer circumference multiple and a tightness factor. You must also specify the stitch and row gauge.

Have fun knitting and wearing your hat
Lucia

Patterns are worth something. Custom patterns should be worth even more. This is sort of "shareware". If you knit one of these, please send me a $3 donation. Pictures are welcome too!

Enter Data for Your Hat

You must modify the following data to match the gauge and shape you want! Just change the numbers; it recalculates automatically.

Replace My Gauge Swatch Information Your Gauge Swatch Information
Note your machine setting on your directions in pen. You must use the same machine setting when knitting the swatch and the hat!
Stitches per inch:
Rows per inch:

Replace My Hat Shape Parameters with Yours
Data to enter.	Information.
Head circumference inches.	This is a medium woman's head. Men's heads are 1-2" bigger. Kids are 2-3" smaller. It's best to measure heads. They vary a lot. But you can also look at this list of head sizes.
Tightness factor percent. If you like a very snug hat band, enter a larger number. If you like a very loose one, enter zero.	Based on your head circumference and tightness factor, the hat band circumference will be inches around.
Outer circumference multiple factor . ( I entered 1.5, which makes a standard beret that extends a small distance past your head; if you enter 2 you'll have a pattern for a very dramatically large beret. You can dramatic berets at the HK beret page.)	The outer circumference of the beret will be inches. The hat diameter will be inches. The diameter on is 10.5" in diameter and fits over a dinner plate as shown above and to the right..
Band depth inch.	This is the knit depth of the hat band depth, which is a little band of fabric that rolls up. It rolls up a lot and looks much shorter when you wear it. I made mine 1.8" and you can see it rolls up to less than an inch. Very small band depths look more beret like; deeper ones look more like tams.

Results: Your Hat Pattern

Don't try to edit anything below this point. If you want to change them, change values in the table above. The summary tables are for informational purposes only. This is a program. So, please read through al the directions and make sure no negative numbers appear. (I try to think about where they might appear and create a warning box, but I don't always think of them all.)

Yarn Estimate:

This depends on your yarn. Hats rarely take more than 4 ounces.

Knitting Instructions.

Some abbreviations: RC = Row count read out. COR= Carriage on Right. COL = Carriage on Left.

Main Hat Piece.

Read about knitting short (partial) rows. Note: On a Brother, when the carriage is set to partial knitting, needles in D knit and move to B when the carriage passes over them.

Raise needles to work (B on a Brother) ; if possible, raise on the right hand side of zero, and the rest on the left hand side of zero. Count over needles from the left and note that needle number and note the right hand needle number here: L=________ ; R= __________.
Cast on with waste yarn. Knit a few rows end with COR.
Thread machine with fashion yarn, and set to your chosen machine tension.
You will work short rows to shape the hat.

Set machine to partial knitting (Hold on a Brother.)
Move the needles on the far left hand side from work (B) to hold (E). K1 row, wrap first needle in hold. COL.
Move needles on the far right hand side from work (B) to hold (E) K1 row, wrap needle. COR.
Move out of work needles on left from hold (E) to pattern knitting position (D). K1 row, wrap a needle. Move same number of needles on right to work position. K1 row, wrap. COR
Move needles on right from work position (E) to pattern knitting position (D). K1 row, wrap. Move same number of needle on left to work position. K1 row, wrap. COR
Continue in this pattern until you have moved all the needles on the left hand side into work position. After that continue, but you will only move needles on right into work position. Ending with COR after the row where you have knitted on all needles. (You may move a different number of needles than indicated in "d" or "e" on the last move.)

Repeat step 4, times. (This makes wedges.)

As you work, you will notice the hat curving around and forming a circle. Keep track of the number of "wedges", but you can count if you forget.

Make band

Raise = needles. Hang long edge of beret with purl side facing you. Pull needles all the way out and push beret against gate pegs; set machine to knit.
Knit = rows. Bind off loosely.

Assemble

Graft stitches on waste yarn, or hang on machine and seam. Mattress stitch the band neatly shut, taking care that the seam does not show on the purl side, which will roll to the outside. Run yarn through the hole in center and pull to draw shut. .
Tidy all loose ends, steam, wear.