I am a beginning knitter trying to make a bolero sweater from Debbie Bliss’ Junior Knits book (Molly). I think I’m in a little over my head!
So far I’ve cast on 72 sts for 22 rows.
Then it says:
change to circular needle
cast on 8 sts at beg of next 8 rows. 136 sts.
work 30 rows in St st.
So, I cast on 8 sts with a new ball onto a circular needle, then brought the 72 sts onto the circular needle. Is this correct? So now I have these 80 sts on the circular needle, and I’m not sure what to do. Do I take another ball and cast on another 8 sts, and then proceed to knit the first 8 sts I cast on and then keep going around? The piece is turned around so that if I knit, I don’t think the sts will be facing the right away. And if I do this, how/where do I cast on the other 8 sts in each of the next 6 rows?
I’m totally lost. Help!
Thanks so much. What a great forum!
What that means is that you cast on, with the same yarn you are knitting with.
When you reach the end of the row you cast on the necessary stitches. There are several ways of doing that the easier one is to use the Single Cast-On, but for me not always the best. I usually use the knitted on.
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
I don’t get the impression that you’re supposed to be working in the round, just using the circular needle for length since they refer to rows rather than rounds. Cast on the stitches at the end of the row, and count that as the beginning of the next row. Knit across them and then cast on at the end of the row again. Do this so that you are casting on a total of 32 stitches at each end.
Ana, thanks so much. That helps a TON. I can’t believe I can’t find those instructions in any of my learn-to-knit books!
Now, when I start knitting in rounds, how and where do I cast on the other 8 sts in each of the rows? (I believe that’s what the instructions are telling me to do, but please correct me if I’m wrong!)
Do I just mark the end of each row and cast on 8 new sts between the “rows?”
Ingrid, you wrote just as I was posting again… thank you for explaining that. I was under the (novice) impression that when you use circular needles, it means you are supposed to knit in the round!
Now I understand.
But, I’m sure I’ll have more questions as I go along… :??
Then it says:
change to circular needle
cast on 8 sts at beg of next 8 rows. 136 sts.
work 30 rows in St st.
The fact that this says to work in rows rather than rounds tells me that you’re not joining, but knitting flat. Since I don’t know what the pattern looks like, I’m not positive.
Usually when a pattern tells you to knit in the round, it will be specific about when to join.
Is there part of the body of the pattern that is knit in a tube? Or even better, is there a link to a picture of it?
Yes, this is knit flat. The stitches you are casting on at each end are for the sleeves, and they have you do it on the circular needle so the stitches will all fit.
Ingrid, thank you SO much! What a huge help. Unfortunately, I have no idea what part of the sweater I am knitting because I am pattern-challenged. I just have to hope that in the end, it’ll somewhat resemble a sweater that my daughter can wear! (Even if she is 16 by the time I’m done with it.)
This sweater is knit oddly, so I’m not surprised it doesn’t look like anything yet. As it takes shape, it will make sense, and since I have the pattern here in front of me, it will be easy for me to help if you get stuck.
