Cute and Cozy Pom Pom Beret

I like berets. They look cute, keep your head and ear tips warm, and don't give you flat-head hair like knitted caps do. I also like to combine materials so chose to create the beret using wool cloth for the cap portion and a knitted strip for the brim. Read on to see how I made this Cute and Cozy Pom Pom Beret.

Find some soft, non-itchy yarn. I chose a blend of acrylic and mohair.

Choose a multi-color skein which has one of the colors of the wool you'll be using for the top portion.

I doubled the yarn strands for knitting the band, so increase your needle size, and knit a small sample to test the gauge.

I cast on 10 stitches.

Continue to knit in Stockinette until your band is the correct size for hat wearer.

This should be several inches less than circumference of head to allow for a comfortable stretch.

Sew ends together to form a band.

If you don't have a pom pom maker, it is easy enough to make one out of card stock.

1. Find glass bottom which has the same diameter of desired pom pom size. Trace around it to create two circles.

2. Cut a slit and smaller circle within each. Stack one on top of other.

3. Using doubled yarn, wrap, and wrap, and wrap yarn around the doughnut.

4. Using sharp cutters, working on a flat table, carefully snip through all layers of yarn.

5. Feed a doubled long skein within the two paper layers. Tie tightly with several knots.

6. Remove paper and, Voila, a cute, fluffy pom pom. Be sure to keep the tails as you'll use this to feed through the hat portion.

1. I recommend making a template with cheap fabric/muslin. Pin pleats around perimeter and see what kind of shape you get.

2. When happy with fit(it should be a little larger than head as this will be eased smaller with the brim ribbing), remove pins and place over the nice wool you have chosen. The wool should be slightly felted to provide enough body.

3. Cut out circle and re-pin pleats.

1. Place knitted brim inside hat and add several pins, holding the two layers together.

2. Using a large zig zag stitch, sew hat layers together.

3. Sew around once more, for added strength.

4. Pull tails from pom pom through and secure with large knot.

5. Trim off any wayward strands to neaten pom pom.

Naturally you'll want to knit a fringed scarf to go with it!

: )