Felted Shetland Beret by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas

This simple beret happened quite by accident. We were re-scaling our favorite beret in Shetland dk and it turned out comically large. Hey, we thought, might as well felt it! The result was pretty cool. And remarkably soft after all the washing. Then we thought, wouldn’t finer Spindrift be even nicer felted? And indeed it was. Lightweight. Lofty. Not too warm. We bet you won’t make just one.

We usually do our felting in the washing machine but when it came to felting this little beret we wanted to take a more hands-on approach. Our instructions for felting by hand in the sink will give you a nice smooth, even finish. And a wee workout, too.

Careful blocking is the other secret to a beautiful finish. Drying your beret over a plate—or in Shetland parlance, ‘dressing a tam’—will give your beret a perfect shape and give you a chance to control the size and silhouette. You can ‘dress’ your beret this way whenever you wash it.

Yarn

Jamieson's of Shetland Shetland Spindrift

Yarn weight

Fingering (14 wpi)

Gauge

22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette

Needle size

US 6 - 4.0 mm

US 5 - 3.75 mm

Yardage

230 yards (210 m)

Sizes available

medium adult: approx 21" circumference at band after felting & blocking