Based on a photo of an actual snowflake, this hat is great for those just learning to do stranded knitting. The long-color-change yarn makes it look like you’ve done way more work than it actually takes, and you end up with a beautiful beret!

Because this is stranded knitting, the gauge is close to square. If you’re working a gauge swatch, you must do it in the round and stranded.

I don’t usually work a gauge swatch before knitting a hat. Instead, I work the first half of the hat, try it on or measure it to see if it fits, and then either rip and redo or go on. Because a beret doesn’t have to fit closely, except at the very edge, it’s not critical for the gauge to be exactly on point - close enough is good enough.