Crochet a Hat Tam or Beret

One of the first hats I ever learned to crochet was a tam or beret. I used to make them for a hat vendor at the Renaissance Faires in the U.S.A. And I still keep a few on hand for my Etsy shop, or for gifts or to wear myself.

To crochet this hat you need to be able to make a circle. You need to know how to do increases and decreases. I decided the easiest way to teach this was to make a video so I'm uploading it here. If you can't see the video the basic idea is outlined here.

Get a G, H, or I crochet hook and worsted weight yarn. I usually use acrylic because it's washable and inexpensive. You can use wool or bamboo or whatever other worsted weight (medium weight) yarn you have.

First you do a slip knot and chain 5.

Join chain to form a circle.

Do 2 single crochets in each stitch in the circle.

From here on out, increase every six or seven stitches however many you need to keep the circle flat. Keep on this way until it's the size of a dinner plate.

Then do a few rows without any increases or decreases.

Then start to decrease at the same pace you did the increases on the first half, gradually pulling the circle in. When it's small enough to fit on your head finish the last row with slip stitches to give it a nice finished edge.

Add a drawstring if you wish.

A tam is slightly bigger than a beret. If you want to make a beret, make your basic circle a bit smaller.