The Beret is a Cap

Yesterday I was waxing lyrical about the fun of experimenting--and the lovely firm fabric I was achieving with the silk-cotton yarn I'd bought for E's birthday beret. Somehow that gave me permission to experiment even further. Since the fabric is firm enough to hold its shape and I had plenty of yarn, I decided to try for a cap rather than a simple beret. Well here's the result: I'm still grinning at it:) Now I just have to wait a couple of weeks for E's response. Oh, and get on with the original alpaca-wool hat too.

Birthday Beret

Here's the progress so far on E's silk-cotton beret: I've finished the top and sides and I've just started decreasing to form the underside. I've just joined in the second skein of yarn, so now I know I'm going to have enough. I'm surprised and pleased with how firm the fabric is turning out. I did choose a crochet hook on the small side for the yarn because I wanted a stiff fabric, but the yarn isn't tightly twisted, so I didn't know how it would go. It's better than I expected.

Experimenting is always fun, but they always recommend sampling when using a new yarn. Oh well, what they don't know won't hurt them. I usually end up experimenting (sampling, if you like) on something that can be used. And I'm happy enough to change my plans to suit the way a particular fibre wants to behave. In this case it's behaving beautifully.

Silk Conspiracy

Much as I'm looking forward to making E her alpaca-wool hat, I've been conscious of the fact that she won't get to wear it for maybe six months after her birthday. So I've been wondering about making something in cotton for her to wear this summer. Notice I said cotton. She wants a beret style, so bamboo would be too soft. But there were a couple of skeins of yarn at CCCK with different ideas. They were lying in wait for me; tucked away on a shelf near the door. And when I started looking around yesterday afternoon, they jumped out at me:

• lovely tweedy texture in burgundy-orange
• lovely thick yarn, which will hold it's shape nicely
• lovely: 70% silk, 30% cotton

. . . need I say more?

Thankfully my loyalty points balance covered about half the cost.

I can't say I regret being ambushed like that. The beret is already half made. It feels good in my fingers. I expect to finish it today or tomorrow. That will leave plenty of time to make its cool weather companion. And the forecast here is for more rain and temperatures in the mid-teens, so I needn't worry about the weather slowing me down. Where E lives, the forecast today is for 32! She's going to want a warm weather hat.