So what you're saying is...

...I need to knit a beret?

Tams and berets are a big look for fall/winter 2007, and they're popping up all over the place.
As a person with a small noggin, I like the idea of a hat that perches gently on top of my head, like a turtledove, instead of clinging tightly to it and simultaneouly messing up my hair and making my noodle look even smaller than it is.

I don't even want to think about how much a beret from Vuitton or Pollini would cost, and besides, I don't really care for either of the above examples. Luckily, we've got a bevy of fancy new offerings from some fab designers. Here are three of my favorite patterns, listed in order of thriftiness.

Top your mop with a hat that flops

Pecan Pie
design by Nancy Merchant


Price: Cheap as free
Where do I get it? Knitty: Fall 2007
Yarn requirements: 1 skein each of Cascade 220 Tweed and Noro Kureyon
I really love the combination of the Kureyon with a solid, and the fact that the possibilities for this hat are pretty endless. Very chic, but interesting at the same time.


December Lights Tam
design by Mary Jane Mucklestone


Price: $7.99
Where do I get it? From Interweave, or your LYS
Yarn requirements: 8 different colors of Rauma Finullgarn, 1 ball each

I would change the colors on this tam to make it a little less flamboyent, but I think the pattern itself is very pretty. It's a neat combination of modern and traditional, and again, the opportunities to "make it your own" on this are pretty endless.

Gem
design by Kim Hargreaves


Price:Approximately $35
Where do I get it? Heartfelt, which you can buy from Kim's website
Yarn requirements:Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Rowan Kidsilk Classic

Lovely and elegant, this cap is yet one more reason to buy Kim's new book. A closer look reveals glass beads on the band, ramping up the luxe quotient on this pattern quite a bit. Luckily, I'm pretty sure affected waifiness is not required to wear this hat.