391 Willow Beret - Hat Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Amherst

391 Willow Beret – Hat Knitting Pattern for Women by Melissa LaBarre

The 391 Willow Beret is a beautifully designed women's knitted beret created by Melissa LaBarre and published by Valley Yarns. This intermediate-level pattern produces a classic, slouchy beret silhouette with an elegant all-over lace motif that gives the finished hat its graceful, willow-inspired character. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it immediately accessible for knitters ready to cast on.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a women's lace beret — a rounded, tam-style hat with a fitted ribbed band and a full, shaped crown. The lace detailing across the body of the hat gives it a delicate, feminine texture, while the structured decrease section at the crown pulls the fabric into a neat, polished finish. The beret is suitable for everyday wear and makes an excellent handmade gift project.

Construction and Techniques

The 391 Willow Beret is worked entirely in the round, beginning at the brim and finishing at the crown. This seamless construction method eliminates the need for any seaming and creates a clean, professional result. Key construction stages include:

• Ribbed brim: The hat begins with 80 stitches cast onto a smaller circular needle, then worked for 9 rounds in k1, p1 rib to create a snug, stretchy band that sits comfortably around the head.
• Increase round: After the ribbing, knitters switch to a larger circular needle and work a single increase round using the knit front and back (kfb) technique, adding 40 stitches to bring the total to 120 stitches. This expansion creates the characteristic fullness of a beret shape.
• Lace body: The main body of the hat is worked from Chart A (with written instructions also provided). The chart represents one-fifth of the total stitch count and is repeated five times per round. Rows 1–10 of Chart A are worked three times in total, building up the lace fabric across the body of the beret.
• Crown decreases: A dedicated Decrease Chart shapes the crown, gradually reducing the stitch count. Knitters transition from the circular needle to double-pointed needles (dpns) when the stitch count becomes too small to work comfortably in the round on a circular needle.
• Finishing: After completing the decrease chart, the remaining stitches are gathered by breaking the yarn and threading it through them. Ends are woven in, and the beret is blocked — either with steam or by spritzing with water and stretching over a dinner plate — to open up the lace and achieve the full, rounded beret shape.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

The 391 Willow Beret draws on a focused set of knitting stitches and techniques that are characteristic of intermediate lace knitting:

• K1, P1 Rib – used for the brim to create elasticity and a neat edge
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – foundational stitches used throughout
• Kfb (Knit Front and Back) – a simple increase stitch used in the increase round
• Yarn Over (YO) – creates the decorative eyelets that form the lace pattern
• SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit) – a left-leaning decrease paired with yarn overs in the lace motif
• K2tog (Knit Two Together) – a right-leaning decrease also paired with yarn overs in the lace motif, creating the mirrored symmetry of the design

The combination of yarn overs with paired decreases (ssk and k2tog) is the hallmark of traditional lace knitting. These stitches maintain the overall stitch count within the lace section while creating an open, airy fabric with a rhythmic, repeating visual pattern. The mirrored placement of left- and right-leaning decreases gives the lace its balanced, flowing appearance — very much in keeping with the willow theme of the design.