As I mentioned in a recent post, I’ve been geeking out about Mori Kei (“forest style”), one of many fascinating Japanese street styles. I mean… combining forest themed accessories, layered skirts, and crochet/knitwear? Plus crazy socks?? Sign me up.

And of course, my proclivity for putting horns on things fits right in. So when I saw this adorable antlered beret on Pinterest, I was inspired to create my own version. Paired with a Mori-inspired outfit of course.

The hat pattern itself is a slight modification of the Sweetheart Beret, a free pattern I made two years ago. The antlers are new, done more simply than the bigger antlers I make for my Deer Hat pattern.  Hope you like this new little project, and be sure to share on Ravelry if you do!

Forest Girl Beret

Materials:
5.00 mm hook, 3.50 mm hook
1 skein Buttercream Mohair Metallic (#5 Bulky, 3.5 oz, 188 yds)
30-40 yds brown DK weight yarn for antlers (Worsted weight is fine, too)
Tapestry needle
Size 5 knitting DPNs (optional)
Gauge: 7 sts & 5 rows = 2” in hdc

Notes:

The Ch 2 at the beginning of each round DOES NOT COUNT as the first st of the round.

Instructions:

To begin, make a 6 row I-Cord using either the knit technique or the crochet I-cord technique (Planet June has an excellent tutorial on the crochet version)

On the sixth row, transfer all three loops (if knitting) onto your 5.00 mm crochet hook.

Grab the loop closest to your hook end and draw it through the other two loops on the hook, leaving you with one loop on the hook.

Rnd 1 : Ch 3. Join with a slip stitch to the first chain to form a ring. This gives you a ring attached to the base of the I-cord. With the I-cord at the back, Ch 2 and work 8 hdc into the ring, then join with a slip stitch to the first hdc, (remember this is NOT the beginning ch-2). You will have a circle of 8 hdc stitches with the I-cord off center from the beginning ring on the wrong side of your stitching, which is where it will stay until we center it later.

Rnd 2: Ch 2. 2 hdc into the same st. (2 hdc in the next st) 7 times. Join with a sl st. – 16 sts

Rnd 3: Ch 2, hdc into the same st. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in the next st, 2 hdc into the next st) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 24 sts.

Rnd 4: Ch 2, 1 hdc in the same st and 1 hdc in the next st. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc into ea of the next 2 sts, 2 hdc into the next st) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 32 sts

Rnd 5: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 2 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc into ea of the next 3 sts, 2 hdc into the next st.) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 40 sts.

Rnd 6: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 3 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 4 sts, 2 hdc into the next st.) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 48 sts.

Rnd 7: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 4 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 5 sts, 2 hdc into the next st.) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 56 sts.

At this point, my circular pattern is starting to form telltale points at the increases. To keep the work nice and rounded, the next round offsets the increases – although the total number of increases remains the same.

Rnd 8: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 2 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 6 sts, 2 hdc into the next st.) 7 times. Hdc in ea of the next 3 sts. Join with a sl st – 64 sts.

Rnd 9: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 3 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 7 sts, 2 hdc in the next st.) 7 times.  Hdc in ea of the next 3 sts. Join with a sl st – 72 sts.

Rnd 10: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 4 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 8 sts, 2 hdc in the next st.) 7 times. Hdc in ea of the next 3 sts. Join with a sl st – 80 sts.

In the next round, we will offset the increases again.

Rnd 11: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 8 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 9 sts, 2 hdc in the next st.) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 88 sts.

Rnd 12: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 9 sts. 2 hdc in the next st. (1 hdc in ea of the next 10 sts, 2 hdc in the next st.) 7 times. Join with a sl st – 96 sts.

Rnds 13-16: Ch 2, hdc in the same st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 95 sts. Join with a sl st – 96 sts.

Rnd 17: Ch 2, hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 9 sts. Hdc2tog over the next 2 sts. (1 hdc in ea of the next 10 sts, hdc2tog over the next 2 sts.) – 88 sts.

Rnd 18-20: Ch 2, 1 hdc in the same st. Hdc in ea of the next 87 sts. – 88 sts

Rnd 21: Ch 2, 1 hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 3 sts. Hdc2tog over the next 2 sts. (1 hdc in ea of the next 3 sts, hdc2tog over the next 2 sts. 1 hdc in ea of the next 4 sts, hdc2tog over the next 2 sts) 7 times. 1 hdc in ea of the next 3 sts, hdc2tog over the next 2 sts. Join with a sl st. – 72 sts.

Rnd 22: Ch 2, 1 hdc in the same st and in ea of the next 6 sts. Hdc2tog over the next 2 sts. (1 hdc in ea of the next 7 sts, hdc2tog over the next 2 sts) around – 64 sts

The next round begins with a turn so that we are working with the WS facing. The rest of the hat will be worked from this side.

Rnd 23: Ch 1, turn. Sc in the same st and in ea of the next 63 sts. Join with a sl st – 64 sts.

Rnds 24 – 25: Ch 1, sc in the same st and in ea of the next 63 sts. Join with a sl st – 64 sts.

Rnd 26: Sl st loosely in the next st and in ea of the remaining 63 sts. Try on the hat to test for size. If the slip stitching makes your brim too tight, skip this round. Cut yarn and tie off.

This hat uses the wrong side of the piece as the outside surface, so make sure that the wrong side is facing out before weaving in all your ends!

Thread your yarn needle with the yarn end from the i-cord.

Slip the needle end down through the i-cord and through the opposite side of the beginning ring to center the cord over the middle of the beginning ring. Straighten out your yarn tension so that the i-cord can stretch out fully and look natural. Weave in the rest of the yarn end, and all other yarn ends.

Antlers:

Using 3.50 hook and DK weight yarn

Make 2 of each tine. Worked continuously in the round. Use a stitch marker to keep track of rounds. Gauge is amigurumi-style, aka as tight as possible 😉

Main Tine:

Rnd 1: Make Magic Ring. 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed tightly.

Rnd 2: 1 sc in ea sc around. – 6 sts

Rnd 3: *1 sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc. Rpt from * around. – 9 sts

Rnds 4-13: 1 sc in ea st around. – 9 sts

Rnd 14: *1 sc in ea of the next 2 sc, 2 sc in the next sc. Rpt from  * around. – 12 sts

Sl st in the next 2-3 sts, cut yarn and tie off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

2^nd Tine

Rnd 1: Make Magic Ring. 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed tightly.

Rnd 2: 1 sc in ea sc around. – 6 sts

Rnd 3: *1 sc in the next sc, 2 sc in the next sc. Rpt from * around. – 9 sts

Rnds 4-8: 1 sc in ea st around. – 9 sts

Sl st in the next 2-3 sts. Cut yarn and tie off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Assembly:

Thread the long tail of the 2^nd tine onto a tapestry needle and sew around the base onto the main tine. Weave in the end. Rpt for other antler.

Thread the long tail of the main tine onto a tapestry needle and position your antlers on the beret. I tried to place mine roughly equally spaced around the 6^th-7^th round of the beret. I liked this for a subtle look, where the antlers can mostly be seen from the back. But, it would be fun to position them further forward too!

If your stitching isn’t tight enough to keep the antlers stiff on their own, you can stuff a tiny bit of fiberfill in the base of the main tine to help stabilize things.

Sew around the base of the antler, attaching it to the beret. Weave in any remaining ends.

Quick AND cute, I’ll definitely be making a few more of these for springtime! I also unearthed the toadstool beret I had from the making of the original  tam pattern and got some new photos. I used a tapestry needle threaded with fluffy white bulky weight yarn to add the characteristic speckles by embroidering french knots.

I particularly enjoy the background view of my freaky forest friends staring me down 😀

-MF