The Shifting Seasons Beret is one of seven patterns in issue four of John Arbon Textiles’ in house magazine, The Annual, which will be published in September 2024.

There are kits available for this pattern.

Inspired by fresh spring growth and moody, autumnal gardens, each season arrives with its own unique palette. Spring with its bold pops of colour amongst a background of bare branches and frosty mornings and Autumn awash with muted rusts and purples and gentle misty evenings. This stylish beret is knitted from the brim to the crown and contains delicate colourwork motifs that work perfectly with mini skeins of both our Harvest Hues and Knit by Numbers 4ply. It’s the ideal headwear for those times of year when warm days can suddenly transition to cool evenings.

Sizes
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Finished Measurements
A - Maximum diameter: 23.5 (25, 26, 27.5, 28.5, 30)cm / 9.25 (9.75, 10.25, 10.75, 11.25, 11.75)”
B - Brim circumference: 40 (42.5, 45, 49, 52.5, 55)cm / 15.75 (16.75, 17.75, 19.25, 20.75, 21.75)”
Hat depth (excluding stalk): 20 (20, 21, 21, 22, 22)cm / 7.75 (7.75, 8.25, 8.25, 8.75, 8.75)”

Designed to be worn with 5-7.5cm / 2-3” of negative ease around brim.

Yarn
Harvest Hues (4ply; 400m per 100g)
Knit by Numbers (4ply; 400m per 100g)
C1: 20 (20, 25, 25, 30, 30)g
C2: 20 (20, 25, 25, 30, 30)g
C3: 5 (5, 10, 10, 10, 10)g
C4: 5 (10, 10, 10, 10, 10)g

Gauge
32 sts x 56 rnds = 10cm / 4” square over 2x2 ribbing using smaller needles, after blocking.
32 sts x 41 rnds = 10cm / 4” square over stocking stitch colourwork pattern using larger needles, after blocking.

Needles
2.25mm (UK 13 / US 1) circular knitting needles, length suitable for working brim circumference
3mm (UK 11 / US 2.5) knitting needles. You will need circular needles in lengths suitable for working from brim to full circumference, plus circular or double-pointed needles for the crown and i-cord stalk.

Always use a needle size that results in the correct gauge after blocking.

Samples shown:
Harvest Hues 4ply Elder (C1), Russet (C2), Raindrop (C3) and Silver Birch (C4)
Knit by Numbers 4ply in KBN111 (C1), KBN55 (C2), KBN17 (C3) and KBN97 (C4)

Pattern Notes
The beret is knitted in the round, beginning with a single-colour ribbed brim. The main body and crown are worked in stocking stitch using the stranded colourwork technique. The crown ends with an i-cord stalk. Choose your size according to the brim and maximum circumference, taking into consideration whether you want a more subtle beret shape or a big ‘UFO’ kind of shape. You want to obtain a nice, dense fabric that gives the beret some firmness. So, choose a yarn that contains wool (not 100% alpaca or mohair for example). When choosing colours, we recommend darker or mid-tone shades for C1 and C2; and lighter shades for C3 and C4. Make sure there is a good contrast between C1 and C4 as these two colours are used as foreground and background in the main colourwork motif.

The Annual (issue four)
This pattern is currently only available in print. Pick up a copy of our Annual here.