I uses #4 for the hat band and #6 for the body and crown, going down a size from what the pattern recommended. Still my daughter though it was too loose for her head which is small. It was fine for me since I have thick curly hair.

I totally blew it on understanding the pattern. In the crown shaping section I did not do the pattern repeat between markers but only at the beginning of each row. I ended up with a off balance seam in the back which is not a hindrance to the flow since I used a yarn with a color repeat.

My swirls took me to a whole different place than a standard beret. My hat can be “molded” and played with in the back to create slightly different looks.