Can someone help re: joining into round (making a hat)?

#1

I have only knitted scarves before, and I just went out and got myself double-pointed needles to make a hat.

I’m trying to make the “simplest cap of all” pattern on this site, and I am confused. The lady at the knitting store told me I would have three needles going at the same time… the directions don’t seem to suggest this. I casted on 56 stitches on a needle to start, and now it says “and join into round without twisting”.

What do they mean “join into round”? Am I to attach the sides? If the stitches are on a straight needle, how the heck do you join two sides to make it round, while on the needle?
And then they refer to “the circle”… (“work one more round of ribbing, increasing 8 stitches evenly spaced around the circle…”)
Do I keep knitting several rows and connect the edges at the corners after I made it a couple inches deep?

I understand I’d have to make a circle, but I guess I assumed I’d be making some kind of triangular scarf-type piece, and then sewing up the two sides to make it cylindrical.

#2

You use double pointed needles so that you can join the ends together into a round. With double points it will look like a square or triangle on the needles (depending on if you use 4 or 3 needles) but in the end it will be round. So yes, you do join the ends together to make a ‘circle’. It’s a bit hard to imagine without seeing it- check out the small diameter circular knitting’ videos in the ‘advanced techniques’ section of the videos on this site.

There are hat patterns that are knit on straight needles and seamed, as well.

#3

Here’s the pattern for helpers…
http://tiajudy.com/simplestcap.htm

This pattern, like a lot of them, assumes you already know how to knit in the round so they don’t give instructions for that.

There is a video here in KH for knitting in the round
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques

Here’s more help with still photos as well. The instructions for DPNs is toward the middle of the page.
http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Knitting_in_the_Round

#4

Thanks that was helpful!

One more question… (for the Simplest cap of all pattern, http://tiajudy.com/simplestcap.htm)
When they say “Work one inch in Knit 1 Purl 1 ribbing (about 6 rounds)” do they mean do one row of purling (which I guess would mean 1 row on each of the 3 needles), and then 1 row of knitting? So that would mean 3 rows of purliing/3 of knitting I guess, in this case… Or is it literally 1 stitch knit, 1 stitch purl, 1 stitch knit, 1 stitch purl etc. within each row, until I make 6 rows?

And is that what they mean by “combined knitting” (for which they have a video on this site under the “knit stitch” video page)? I watched the video but it seemed like she was just doing knitting for the whole row… did she do purling for the previous row? Does that mean I should follow the “combined purling” video for when i do the purling row, going back and forth with one method per row, then the other one?

#5

I also have a video for joining in the round. You can see the link in my signature. Good luck with your hat!

#6

Ribbing is knits and purls done on the same row/round. So you would k1 st, p1 st and repeat. Look on the Tips page for basic stitches.

Combined knitting is a style like english or continental and has nothing to do with mixing stitches in the same row. It’s a combination of Eastern (middle east) and Western (continental/engish) knitting.

#7

“Work one inch of Knit 1, Purl 1 ribbing”

Your literal interpretation is correct, knit one, purl one, repeat this around. If you have an even number of stitches then you will get the next round lined up to knit in the knits and purl in the purls (from the previous row or round). Once you have four rounds completed you will see a clear rib pattern emerge. The rib run vertically up the work and are often used (in some form) for cuffs, waist bands, and collars.

Combined knitting is about how you wrap the yarn on a WS purl stitch (clockwise instead of the standard counter- or anti-clockwise) and how it affects your RS knitting. Try zooming in when you view the video. It is the button near the lower right corner. Between the play time and the volumn.

–Jack