Ink, Yarn & Beer

Basic Beret: Creating a Top-Down Beret, ii

Is the yarn the right yarn for this design??

I chose the Full of Sheep yarn because I was curious as to how it would knit up with textured stitches. It is a soft yarn, much like Lopi Light, but perhaps less scratchy. It may not give very good stitch definition because of the fact it is not plied, but really is more a rather dense finger roving.

Getting the Pattern Set Up

I started this beret a couple of times, and was not at all pleased with how I was progressing. I wanted to have 6 pattern repeats at the beginning, and then expand the hat by adding them between. It did not work out right in my head at all – certainly not in the way I was knitting it up. I thought about it on the way home from work, and realized I wanted to have 24 stitches for the pattern set up, with a base of k2, p2 to start.

At home, I drew out the k2, p2 to total 6 repeats. From here, I worked backward to my 4 stitches at the bottom of the tab. This picture shows you my sketch. The 24 stitches eventually became Rnd. 3 in the table below.

Abbreviations Used

k = knit

kfb = knit front and back of stitch

p = purl

m1 purlwise = make one purlwise by slipping the left needle into the strand between the stitches, then purl through the back loop of the strand.

pfb = purl through the front of the stitch, then purl through the back of the stitch

yo = yarn over

Make 1 Purlwise

This video is a very nice demonstration of this purl increase.

Begin Body

Row 1: Using the doubled stitches of the I-Cord, kfb, k, kfb, k (6 sts)

Divide sts onto 3 dpns, pm. On Rnd 1, be sure to move some of the stitches onto needle with marker.

Rnd 1:	K1, m1 purlwise to end	12 sts
Rnd 2:	kfb, p1 to end	18 sts
Rnd 3:	k2, pfb to end	24 sts
Rnd 4:	k1, yo, k1, p2 to end	30 sts
Rnd 5:	k3, p1, pfb to end	36 sts
Rnd 6:	k3, p, pfb, p to end	42 sts
Rnd 7:	MCCO, m1 purlwise, p4, m1 purlwise to end	48 sts
Rnd 8:	k2, p2, m1 pw, k2, m1 pw, p2 to end	60 sts
Rnd 9:	k1, yo, k1, p3 to end	72 sts
Rnd 10:	k3, p3 to end	72 sts
Rnd 11:	k3, p1, pfb, p1 to end *Note:* I experimented with m1 purlwise, p3* versus p1, pfb, p1. I decided that the p1, pfb, p1 looked better in the long run.*	84 sts
Rnd 12:	MCCO, m1 purlwise, p1, k2, p1, m1 purlwise to end *Note:* Here I decided that maybe two rows of k2 would look better before beginning the k1, yo, k1, as was done in Rnd 4.	96 sts
Rnd 13: Note: This is where round repeats begin.	k2, p2 to end	96 sts

And here is how the pattern looks so far, stretched out onto the dpns.

The next needle will now be knit with the circular, and I will use the following pattern, which I think will become the basis for the rest of the beret until I begin to decrease for the brim.

Rnd 13:	k2, p2 to end (Note: Check for the MCCOs on this row)	96 sts
Rnd 14:	*k1, yo, k1, p2 to end	108 sts ?
Rnd 15:	k3, m1 purlwise, p2, m1 purlwise to end	?
Rnd 16	k3, p4 to end	?
Rnd 17:	MCCO, m1 purlwise, p1, k2, p1, m1 purlwise to end	?

Some Thoughts

The yarn is stretched out, so the pattern is taut on the needles. Does not look great now, but may when relaxed. I’ll look at it on the circulars later on.

When constructing the first few rounds, it is easier to create a purl stitch by doing a pfb rather than trying to m1 purlwise. However, once it becomes easier, it should be done; equally important is remembering to purl through the back loop, as done in the video, as the stitch is much nicer.

Basic Beret: Creating a Top-Down Beret, i

A lot of people have downloaded the pattern for the Basic Beret, both here and on Ravelry. Not a lot of people seem to have made it, though. There has also been some criticism about the pattern itself, especially about the decreasing toward the top. There may be some validity to it, and it could also be the skill level of the individual using it. Given that, if you do decide to try this one, be warned that all I am providing is an insight into my own design process, and what I do. That said, let’s begin!

What do you want your beret to look like?

For my purposes here, I want a small pattern that can show how the beret expands outward. I want a knitting pattern or stitch that is easy to memorize and small enough to illustrate my points in design. I figured a pattern of 2 to 4 stitches would be good, and no more than 5 rows in length.

My idea is that, since I will be working from the center outward, I don’t want all the pattern stitches radiating out all at once, but incrementally. I plan on 6 initial patterns of the stitch, increasing between the pattern stitches in purl, and then adding the knit stitches, which are the foundation of the mock cable rib. As the pattern itself is 5 rows, the idea is to add a new pattern line every 5-10 rows to keep each pattern repeat parallel.

My favorite on-line place to go is Knitting Fool, which is a repository of oodles of patterns. I chose an eyelet rib or cable pattern that most of us have seen – 2 stitches, a yarn over in the middle, knit a few rows, and decrease by pulling a stitch over a couple to create the cable effect. Here is my circular version, using Knit Visualizer, of the pattern. I created the MCCO stitch using the stitch editor in Visualizer.

I may decide to move the purl stitches to the right end of the pattern.

Gauge

As I am familiar with my own way of knitting, and about how many stitches per inch I usually get with a given yarn, I tend to skip this step. However, if you do not know, or you like to swatch, make yourself a swatch knit in the round, and measure from there. Gauge of flat knitting and circular knitting can vary. Some good links for getting your gauge may be found here and here, and in the videos below.

Center Beginning

The first decision is to have a flat center, or a little tab, such as found on the classic wool beret, growing out of the center. If you want a tab, this is how to do it.

Tab Beginning

This is done using I-Cord. Using double point needles (dpns), cast on three stitches, leaving a tail of 4-5 inches in length. I-Cord is done by knitting the three stitches, sliding them to the other end of the needle, and repeating. This video is very nice in illustrating how to make an I-Cord.

While you are knitting, include that long tail left over from beginning. This means you are doubling up your yarn and knitting the tail into the stitches. This keeps the problem of the tab’s tail having to be woven in later on. It also makes a fatter tab, so you may wish to use only two stitches for your I-Cord tab. Whatever you do, knit all the stitches for each row of I-Cord, do not slip the first or last stitch if this is something you do with regular knitting.

I decided to do a 3-stitch I-Cord for the tab. Here is my picture of the long-tail cast on, with a tail of about 6 inches.

Well, I knitted up a 3-stitch I-Cord. Too fat! Ripped it out, and produced a 2-stitch I-Cord. Here is the tab, knitting the tail in as I created the I-Cord. And, as you see, there are now 4 stitches, which can be used as the foundation for the beginning of the beret. There is also nothing to weave in along the I-Cord itself.

2-Stitch I-Cord, with Long Tail Knitted Into Work

Now that you have all sorts of information, here we go . . .and to quote Elizabeth Zimmermann,

Pithy Directions (so far)

Yarn: Full of Sheep, in cream

Gauge (from yarn wrapper): 4 st. per inch, 5 rows per inch

Needle Size (from wrapper): US 10.5

I am using size 8 needles because I knit loosely.

Directions: You can knit this beret with the traditional center tab, or flat. Up to you. I am using a tab for mine.

Begin Tab. Using a long-tail method of cast-on, cast on 2 stitches with about an 8-10 inch tail. Make the I-Cord (see above video or written directions) knitting with the long tail and the skein yarn doubled together. Knit 5 rows of I-Cord. At the end, there will be a total of 4 stitches available from the doubled yarn of the I-Cord.

No Tab: Cast on 4 stitches. Knit one row. Divide evenly over 3-4 needles. Mark beginning of round.

Pine Tree, ii

old pine–

my own life’s autumn

is like that

—Issa

Sumi-e Palm Trees, ii

I had hoped to create a video over this past weekend about painting a palm tree, as requested a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, the flu and other life circumstance (like work!) have gotten in the way. Just recently I came across the quote by Basho about the pine tree and the bamboo, and it made a lot of sense. After all, in sumi-e, the point is to catch the spirit of something rather than render it as realistic as possible. Observing palm trees is possible here in California – we have them in our yard, over the fence, down the street. They are part of much of our landscaping. However, for many of us, palm trees are rare and exotic creatures.

Thinking about this, I recalled the American artist Winslow Homer. His paintings – oil and watercolor – of the Caribbean islands and its inhabitants – came to mind. Palm trees! His paintings show them in high wind, in a gentle breeze. Tall ones, short ones. If you click on the image below, you will be able to see these in greater detail.

If you really want to learn about palm trees, you can experience them, although perhaps not first hand. Looking at another artist’s work is a good way to learn, and it is traditional in many cultures to copy from the master. It is also possible to find movies with palm trees in them – maybe hit YouTube – as well as to do web searches for photos. For my own painting, I will use the palm trees in my neighborhood, and will provide some pictures as this mini series evolves.

Pine Tree, i

Go to the pine if you want to learn about the pine, or to the bamboo if you want to learn about the bamboo. And in doing so, you must leave your subjective preoccupation with yourself. Otherwise you impose yourself on the object and do not learn. Your poetry issues of its own accord when you and the object have become one – when you have plunged deep enough into the object to see something like a hidden glimmering there. However well-phrased your poetry may be, if your feeling is not natural – if the object and yourself are separate – then your poetry is not true poetry but merely your subjective counterfeit.

Go to the object. Leave your subjective preoccupation with yourself. Do not impose yourself on the object. Become one with the object. Plunge deep enough into the object to see something like a hidden glimmering there. Your feeling is not natural when the object and yourself are separate. You must become one with the object in order for your poetry to be true.

No matter where your interest lies, you will not be able to accomplish anything unless you bring your deepest devotion to it.

–Matsuo Basho