hello 
i’m hoping to make a beret type thing for my best friend for her birthday, and i know it will probably turn out poopy but i wanted to at least try. so far i’ve knitted a scarf, but i’m a very quick learner. i wanted to ask before i ran out and got circular and double pointed needles tomorrow if anyone thinks i could tackle something like this?
here’s a link to a beret i was thinking of doing;
http://www.knitonthenet.com/issue7/patterns/darcyspiceberet/
Shouldn’t be too difficult, just make sure you get chunky yarn. BTW, this isn’t done in the round, it’s knit flat and seamed up. You can do it on circs, but if you’re going to buy needles, get a longer one, or you can do it on straight ones if you already have them.
i actually just noticed that, i was reading the pattern. i’ll get some chunky yarn, and i have 5mm needles that are really long so would those work? would it be more difficult if i did it that way?
Nooooo they won’t work. 5mm would be way too small for chunky yarn, Very tight knitting. You need to use 10mm, or get worsted weight that’s suitable for 5mm needles. But then you’ll have to adapt the pattern, possibly doubling the sts you CO, as well as the number of rows. On the crown shaping, follow it as written on the first row, you’ll just be doing more repeats between the *s. Then on the dec rows after that, where it says k10, k9 on the next dec row, then knit 8 on the dec row after that, then go down to 7 sts between decs, then 5, 4, and 3 until you’re at k2, k2tog.
i could probably get some 10 mm needles tomorrow, but would it be easier to do 2 needles or circular ones? what do you think would be easiest for a beginner?
ohhh i bet i’ll have more questions when it comes to increasing and decreasing haha
You can knit flat on circs, I wouldn’t bother to buy straight ones. You can knit this in the round by leaving off a couple sts that would be used for a seam. Either way, get a longer circ, at least 24". Though it will be a little large if you knit in the round, you can use the Magic Loop technique (see Advanced Techniques for a video) especially at the top, and you can also use it just like straight needles.
im really confused, i’m still just a beginner here 
so, i should go buy circular needles? for now i only own 2 seperate needles. and if i get circular needles how thick should they be?
Hey! I think was Suzeeq meant was that you can use Circular needles if you WANT to. You can still knit flat with circular needles - you just don’t join the round. If you want to buy circs - then you would buy the same size as straights - I guess in this case 10mm.
IMHO- since this is your first hat, and you like this pattern - I would knit it flat and follow the pattern. Once you get more comfortable you can learn to adapt patterns! If you want to learn how to knit in the round or do magic loop, then I would find a pattern that uses one of those methods. It is really easy to do, once you get the hang of it!
Does this help??
hm well i think i’ll get some circular needles today just for the sake of having them, and tonight i will look at patterns and see which one is easiest?
AH i found so many links to cute hats, but they all need different things… some need double pointed AND circular, some need just circular, gah
here’s the links to the patterns i found;
http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/archives/2008/03/hand_knit_beret.php
http://purlchicks.wordpress.com/2008/01/16/knit-a-slouchy-hat-or-beret/
i don’t know what to do :’(
The dpns are for doing the top part where you decrease and the sts won’t fit around the needles anymore. I think MrsP is right, it would probably be easier if you knit the original hat flat either on 2 needles or with a longer circular needle. That way you get practice in doing increases and decreases. Leave knitting in the round for another project.
ohhh okay, so it doesnt really matter what needles i use? as long as i do seams? alright well i’ll get circular needles so i can have them just in case. and i’ll use that first pattern. thanks!
ugh i give up. i finished the hat and its honestly fit for a doll. i followed the pattern exactly. UGH. was it my wool?
The pattern is written for bulky yarn, so if you used thinner yarn, it would be too small. You didn’t say which yarn you were going to use so we all thought you had some heavy yarn. If you use worsted weight and size 8/5mm needles and double the sts and rows as I suggested in post #4, you’d get a normal size hat.
how would i go about doubling everything?
i did use thinner wool… gah being a beginner sucks haha.
Cast on twice as many sts, knit twice as many rows for the ribbing and inc 44 sts instead of 22. Here -
cast on 96 stitches. [B]Row 1 (RS):[/B] [COLOR=#ff8000]*K1, P1, rep from * to end of row.[/COLOR]
[B]Row 2:[/B] [COLOR=#ff8000]as row 1.[/COLOR]
Repeat these 2 rows 7 more times.
[B]Next row:[/B] Increase 44 sts evenly across next row.
Starting with a purl row, work in stocking stitch for 18 rows. (maybe a little more - you want about 8" from the beginning)
Then for the top shaping, follow it as written on the first row, you’ll just be doing more repeats between the *s. Do purl rows in between the knit dec rows. Then on the following dec rows, where it says k10, knit 8 instead on the next dec row, purl a row, then use knit 6 on the dec row after that, then go down to 4 sts between decs, until you’re at k2, k2tog and have 14 sts left.
ahhh you’re so amazing, thank you thank you
Naw, not amazing, just experienced. 
sorry i just have another question, haha.
when you say, “Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1, rep from * to end of row.
Row 2: as row 1.
Repeat these 2 rows 7 more times.”
repeat these 2 rows 7 more times. do you mean have 9 rows of that in total? or 16?
16 rows. It’s repeat 2 rows 7 times.