Butterfly Beret Pattern - FREE!

Butterfly Beret
By Rachel Iufer

Special thanks to Katie Blackman for modeling!

Gauge:
22 sts to 4 inches, 30 rows to 4 inches in stockinette

Materials:
Rowan Felted Tweed (191 yds) 1 ball. Shown in green (avocado 161) and purple (sigh 148)

US 4 (3.5mm) 16” circular needle
US5 (3.75mm) 16” circular needle and double pointed needles

Stitch markers

Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques:
Knit, purl, increase, decrease, knitting in the round, I-cord, bind off

Terms:
k2tog: knit two stitches together as one
ssk: slip two stitches knitwise. Insert the left needle into the front of the two slipped stitches and knit them together as one.
M1: Insert the tip of the left needle from front to back into the bar between the stitch that was just knit and the next stitch on the left needle. Knit into the back of the bar to twist and close the hole. 1 stitch increased.
Butterfly stitch: Take the RH needle and scoop up the 5 strands from bottom to top, knit one stitch and with the stitch on the RH needle pull the stitch loop down underneath the 5 strands and over the top creating an elongated stitch that gathers the 5 strands slightly.
Butterfly pattern:
Rows 1,3,5,7,9: *knit 5, bring the yarn to the front and slip 5 stitches purlwise, bring the yarn to the back* rep form
Rows 2,4,6,8: knit all stitches
Row 10: *knit 7, butterfly stitch* rep form
Rows 11,13,15,17,19: *bring the yarn to the front and slip 5 stitches purlwise, bring the yarn to the back, knit 5* rep form
Rows 12,14,16,18: knit all stitches
Row 20: *knit 2, butterfly stitch, knit 7* rep form
wyif: with yarn in front
bytb: bring yarn to back
PM: place marker
sl: slip the stitches purlwise
SM: slip marker



Pattern:

With smaller needles, cast on 92 stitches. Place marker and join in the round.
Work in k1,p1 rib for 1 inch, or approximately 7 rows.

Switch to larger circular needles.
Increase row: *k1, M1* 2 times, [k2, M1] 44 times, *k1, M1* two times. 140 stitches.
Rw 1-60: work butterfly stitch repeat 3 times over the next 60 rows.

Begin decreases (move to double points when needed):
Next Round: *wyif sl5, bytb, k2tog, PM, k1, ssk, wyif sl5, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (126 sts)
Rnd 2: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 3: *wyif sl 4, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 4, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (112 sts)
Rnd 4: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 5: *wyif sl 3, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 3, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (98 sts)
Rnd 6: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 7: *wyif sl 2, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 2, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (84 sts)
Rnd 8: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 9: *wyif sl 1, bytb, k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif, sl 1, bytb, k5* rep form 7 times (70 sts)
Rnd 10: *butterfly stitch, k1, SM, k2, butterfly stitch, k5* 7 times
Rnd 11:* k2tog, SM, k1, ssk, wyif sl5, bytb* around
Rnd 12: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 13: k1 *SM, K1, SSK, wyif sl 3, bytb, k2tog * at the last stitch k2tog with the first stitch of the next round
Rnd 14: k all stitches slipping all markers
Rnd 15: k *SM, k1, SSK, wyif sl 1, bytb, k2tog around until last k2tog use the first stitch of the next round
Rnd 16: *SM, k2, butterfly stitch the the strands, k1* repeat until the end of the round ending on the butterfly stitch
Rnd 17: K1, *sm, SSK, k2tog* until the end, use the first stitch of the next round for the last k2tog
Rnd 18: knit all stitches and remove all markers
Rnd 19: k2tog around (7sts remain)
Rnd 20-21: k2tog 3 times, k1 (4 sts)
Rnd 21-23: k around (i-cord)
Rnd 24: k2tog, k3tog.
Pull yarn through loops and weave the end in securely.

Weave in all ends.

Blocking makes a difference! I use a plate and the steam of my iron to block my hats. They stretch and get fuzzy with wear (especially if you wear them in the rain. The green hat is a year old and the purple is fresh off the needles)

Enjoy!

added note on size:
The original pattern leaves a wide hat brim. If you find it to be too loose, you can cast on only 80 stitches and increase to 140 stitches by increasing as *K1, M1, K2, M1, K1, M1* around.

Long Time No Blog...

it seems that getting my credential and becoming a real science teacher proved to be more time consuming than i thought. oh, that's right folks, i'm the real-deal now (and i have the job to prove it!)

i have been knitting since my last post (oh my, almost a year). i'll post a few things that i have photos of now. also, i'm currently in England on a fantastic trip with my wonderful mother! (more on that later)

here are some knitterly things:







specs:
pattern: ribbon lace scarf from knitty.com
yarn: malabrigo sock chocolate brown, one skein
needles: US 3
mods: none
verdict: my favorite scarf yet :)



specs:
pattern: just enough ruffles by cosmicpluto (pattern on ravelry for small $)
yarn: malabrigo silky merino (forgot the color) 2 skeins
needles: size 9 circs
mods: different yarn, but it gave the scarf a flowing texture that was awesome!
made for: my good friend katie, who lived in istanbul at the time
verdict: fabulous



this is just in the works, from vogue magazine a while back...i'll finish it someday...probably....maybe...

PATTERN UPDATE: butterfly beret
I've been making a few more butterfly berets so that i can tidy up my pattern notes (the decreases are very particular) and i'm hoping to have a (free!!!) pattern up on the blog soon (don't ask me what that means....gosh, a month maybe?) keep checking.

well, i'm about to go to bed in the town of Fowey in Cornwall, England. can i just say this place is GORGEOUS! wowee. pics of the trip to come!!!

cute, tiny IGK

IGK: instant gratification knitting

i needed it badly.

the gifted purple sweater was made just in time for my cousin Lucy's 1st birthday. She looks smashing in purple.



This short sleeved wrap sweater has a fun picot edge around the neck that i just adore. it ties around the back too. Lulu is a fabulous model on her toy car.



just plain CUTE (the sweater's not bad either)



specs:
Pattern: Polly by Martin Storey (RYC book)
Yarn: RYC cashsoft DK
Needles: US 3,6
mods: none
verdict: loves it

I also made a quick clutch for my friend Coco (she's trading with me, i send her knitting, she sends me homemade jam)



i freaking love buttons




and a magnetic snap closure (pretty sweet invention, i do declare)



Specs:
pattern: my own (its a rectangle with a hem.)
yarn: mission cotton 1824 in rust
needles: US 6
verdict: loves it

IGK was completely necessary for me. I have some long term projects that have had to wait on the back burner because of my busy schedule. Getting a teaching credential is the most ridiculous process. with all the work i'm made to do (with out pay) and classes i have to take you'd think that teachers make a million dollars a year or something. Don't get me wrong, i love it so much. it's rewarding and fun, but it's also very hard and draining. finding time to knit can be a challenge. i'll definitely have to minimize my christmas knitting this year (or just make really tiny projects)

these two projects turned out great, and i'm very pleased with them! :)

give it a spin

so i've been knitting sweaters lately (both in purple). one is for me and one is going to be a gift. I'm knitting "flo" by kim hargreaves and i love it!


the knitting is really very boring. the fun bit happens at the end when i'll add mohair ruffles to the front of the cardigan.

the gift sweater is coming along nicely. more on that later, but here's a peek.



my brother recently came back from a long europe trip, and while he was in denmark he picked out some yarn for me. he surfed knitting blogs to find a yarn shop and did and EXCELLENT job picking out the yarn


it's 70% angora, 10% wool and 20% polymide. this stuff is SOFT and the color is gorgeous (green is my favorite. good job little brother!)

i also decided that i needed to give spinning a try (not that i need another reason to increase my yarn stash). inspired by my little bit of yarn spinning in nazareth, i bought some wool fiber (louet) and got a new drop spindle and went to town.


i'm actually not sure what i'm supposed to do once i have too much on the spindle. how do i make room for more? i have a book on this, but i'm too lazy to find the book. i think the yarn looks pretty :) ooooohhhh colors.....

do you ever get hung up on a certain color? i really like purple right now. i'm not sure how long this will last. maybe just one more sweater....

across the pond (part 2) ISRAEL

i can still hardly believe i was in the holy land. there was SO much to see and we saw it all (sorta) here is just a taste...

King Herod's swimming pool at Ceasarea

Har Megiddo aka Armageddon

A nap on the Sea of Galilee (i can see why jesus took a nap here too)

a piece of the synagogue built by the Roman centurion (Luke 7:1-10)

Spinning yarn in Nazareth

Dome of the Rock, Mount Moriah

2000+ year old olive tree in Gethsemane

knitting in the car after a spa day in the Dead Sea. (two floats and a body mud mask!)

The western wall

entrance to the garden tomb (possible 3 day tomb of jesus)

husband and wife in front of the church of the nativity, Bethlehem

There are many more places that we saw and a lot more photos you can see here
The trip was incredible. i will never forget it!

across the pond (part 1)

For half of June and part of July the hubby and i were across the pond in London and also in Israel. wow, what a trip. here are some highlights of London:

The Orangery, Kensington Gardens (the hubby thinks those are kumquats but i'm convinced they just bonsai-ed some orange trees)


Picadilly Circus (Times Square may have come second, but it pwns picadilly)


Big Ben. A Big Bus tour guide said that Ben is short for Benjamin (naturally) and that we're lucky he wasn't named Big Richard. guffaw.


The London Eye. So much cooler than it seems. it seats 25 people per pod and goes twice the speed of a clock minute hand (ie it takes 30 minutes to go round)


This sign was posted in so many places and yet, i still have no idea what it's trying to say. even the Top Gear guys have made fun of this sign. good ole British bureaucracy for you.

London was loads of fun. we went to two museums and had a pint or two at a pub (or two). i want to go to England again, but this time to see the famous countryside.

next time on blogland: Israel!

butterfly beret (i'm alive)

sorry for the long absence (especially for you, Grandma) but things have been so hectic lately. college is out for summer and this is the last week of school at the high school. i will finally have time to knit!

during the last tedious weeks of college classes i made this little green beret. I haven't had time to photograph it until today!


I'm calling it the butterfly beret because i used the butterfly stitch (which i greatly enjoyed knitting).

(also, i got a new hair cut)

i added this little nub to the end of the beret. it is excessively diverting. berets with nubs are my new favorite thing.

Specs:
Yarn: rowan felted tweed
needles: US 4 and 5 circs, US 5 dpns
pattern: butterfly beret (my own)

if there's any interest for a pattern, let me know. i'll have to knit up another one to recall the decreases and whatnot, but i may be able to do it.