Felted Shetland Beret by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas

Felted Shetland Beret

Knitting
September 2009
Fingering (14 wpi) ?
22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches
in stockinette
US 6 - 4.0 mm
US 5 - 3.75 mm
230 yards (210 m)
medium adult: approx 21" circumference at band after felting & blocking
English
This pattern is available for $7.00 USD
buy it now or visit pattern website

This simple beret happened quite by accident. We were re-scaling our favorite beret in Shetland dk and it turned out comically large. Hey, we thought, might as well felt it! The result was pretty cool. And remarkably soft after all the washing. Then we thought, wouldn’t finer Spindrift be even nicer felted? And indeed it was. Lightweight. Lofty. Not too warm. We bet you won’t make just one.

We usually do our felting in the washing machine but when it came to felting this little beret we wanted to take a more hands-on approach. Our instructions for felting by hand in the sink will give you a nice smooth, even finish. And a wee workout, too.

Careful blocking is the other secret to a beautiful finish. Drying your beret over a plate—or in Shetland parlance, ‘dressing a tam’—will give your beret a perfect shape and give you a chance to control the size and silhouette. You can ‘dress’ your beret this way whenever you wash it.