Description

A loving tribute to my mom for this beret and my matching ribbed cowl to make a toasty cold-weather combo. Great for gifts!

I discovered this beret in Mom’s items after she left us at 94, and thought I would re-invent it for our current fashion — keeping the same look, but making the beret much easier to crochet than her original. I examined her beret, experimented with my own pattern and created a beret a bit larger than hers, with a smoother transition from the brim to the body of the hat.

I also used a high end yarn in wool, which drapes very beautifully and is warm to wear. I will say, though, acrylic, which is the yarn she chose, will stand the test of time, and is every bit as hardy as wool.

You can decide what the content of the yarn might be, but this is a versatile set with several stitch patterns to make the duo interesting to look at.

Crochet them with the same yarn, and they look great together, but not matchy-matchy, if you know what I mean…

There are optional instructions to make the ribbed cowl in a stovepipe shape – that is, straight up and down. This shape does not require increasing or decreasing. Both sets of directions are included: Stovepipe and pyramid shape. Both are beautiful, but the pyramid shape fits a bit more easily onto the shoulder. However, if you are using a nice, drapey yarn, either shape will be great.

Happy Crocheting!
Jeanne