Peacedale Beret

Peacedale Beret by Martha Wissing

What is Being Made

The Peacedale Beret is a classic adult woman's beret designed by Martha Wissing. This knitted hat features a finished brim circumference of 15 inches (38 cm) without stretching and a total length of 8½ inches (21.6 cm). The design is worked in the round from the bottom up, creating a seamless, professional-looking finished garment suitable for intermediate knitters.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

This beret begins with a decorative twisted stitch ribbing at the brim, which provides both visual interest and elasticity. The hat is constructed using the German Twist casting method to create a neat, finished edge. The body is worked entirely in the round using circular knitting needles, eliminating the need for seaming. As the crown shaping progresses, the knitter transitions from circular needles to double pointed needles to accommodate the decreasing stitch count.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs a Left Twist (LT) stitch as a key design element. This stitch is created by slipping 2 stitches knitwise one at a time from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle, then slipping both stitches back to the left-hand needle. The main fabric is worked in stockinette stitch (St st), which creates the smooth, classic appearance characteristic of traditional berets.

Materials and Gauge

The Peacedale Beret is designed to be knit in worsted weight yarn. The pattern provides flexibility in yarn choice, suggesting either ILLIMANI AMILIE (50 grams / 164 yards) or MALABRIGO RIOS (100 grams / 210 yards) in color #027 Bobby Blue. Construction requires a 16-inch circular knitting needle in size 7 (4.5 mm) or size to obtain gauge, a 16-inch circular knitting needle in size 6 (4 mm) for the ribbed cuff, and size 7 (4.5 mm) double pointed needles for crown decreases. A stitch marker is essential for tracking the beginning of each round. The pattern gauge is 22 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (10.2 cm) in stockinette stitch.

Skill Level

This project is rated as Intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle in-the-round construction and basic shaping techniques.