Bermondsey beret

Bermondsey Beret by Jennie Atkinson

What is Being Made

The Bermondsey Beret is a classic knitted hat designed by Jennie Atkinson. This intermediate-level project creates a fitted beret with a traditional silhouette, sized to fit head circumferences from 55 to 62 centimeters. The finished beret features a simple two-colour fair-isle pattern throughout, combined with a contrast-coloured facing inside the bottom band that adds a subtle pop of colour when worn. This design can be coordinated with the separate Bermondsey Mitts pattern, which uses the same yarn and complementary fair-isle techniques for a coordinated accessory set.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Bermondsey Beret is knitted in the round, a fundamental technique for hat construction that creates a seamless, tubular fabric. This method eliminates the need for seaming and produces a professional finish. The pattern incorporates fair-isle colourwork, a traditional stranded knitting technique where two colours are worked simultaneously across each round. The fair-isle pattern in this design is described as simple, making it accessible for intermediate knitters who are developing their colour-work skills. The hat construction involves shaping through strategic increases and decreases to create the characteristic beret silhouette, with a fitted headband that transitions into the larger crown.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

• Knit stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the fabric
• Make one (M1): An increase technique performed by lifting the strand between needles from front to back with the left needle tip, then knitting through the lifted loop to add a new stitch
• Fair-isle patterning: Two-colour stranded knitting worked in the round, creating a repeating pattern across the beret
• Stitch markers: Used to denote the beginning of round (BOR) and track pattern repeats

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Bermondsey Beret is knitted using Cascade 220 Fingering, a 4-ply weight yarn composed of 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. Each 50-gram skein provides 250 metres (273 yards) of yarn. For the smaller size (S/M), you will need approximately 28 grams of the main colour (Buff 9591), 19 grams of the contrast colour (Ink blue 1029), and 3 grams of the facing colour (Carrot 9680). For the larger size (M/L), requirements increase to 33 grams main colour, 24 grams contrast colour, and 8 grams facing colour.

Needles: The pattern calls for 3mm (UK size 11 / US size 3) needles in two configurations: one 40-centimetre circular needle for working the main body of the beret in the round, and a set of four 3mm double-pointed needles (DPNs) for the crown shaping when the stitch count becomes too small for the circular needle. A stitch marker is also required to track the beginning of each round.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern specifies a tension of 36 stitches and 38 rounds over 10 centimetres when working the fair-isle pattern using 3mm circular needles. Achieving the correct tension is essential for the beret to fit properly. Two sizes are provided: S/M to fit head sizes 55–58 centimetres with an actual headband circumference of 55 centimetres, and M/L to fit head sizes 59–62 centimetres with an actual headband circumference of 59 centimetres.