so my pattern says 66 cast ons but it is too tight (im knitting a hat) so I want to make it bigger…how do I add on stitches so I know they will work with the pattern. I have to K3 P3 for 6 rounds then stock stitch… How many should I add on so that it works??
Instead of adding stitches, how about trying to use a larger needle size?
How much have you knit before you decide it is too tight? if it looks to tight on the needles after just the cast on row, dont forget that when you have knitted for a bit the stitches settle into their correct position and it might be an OK fit. Also don’t forget that the k3p3 ribbing will have a lot of stretch to it, so you want it to be a little small unstretched so that it ‘hugs’ your head when it is on.
If it is a little to small, even with all that, then you will have to add stitches in multiples of 3 in order to maintain the ribbing. 3 or 6 would probably be enough, but don’t forget to take that into account when doing the decreases for the top.
To answer your question first… you need a total of 6 stitches to create the pattern (3 knits and 3 purls) so you need to add on in increments of 6 to maintain the pattern. So it would be like this; 66, 72, 78, etc.
When you say too tight do you mean too tight on your head or around a circular needle? What size are you making?
what cast on are you using?
and if you see (or feel) its too tight, undo the cast on and start again… this time going slowly, and making sure you don’t tighten too much.
you can if doing long tail pull/snug up the thumb yarn and end up with a tight, unelastic cast on.
but long tail done in a relaxed way, can be very stretchy.
(and there are other cast on’s besides long tail!)
Norwegian (aka German, or Norwegian twist, or german twist, or just twist) is a VARIATION of long tail and the twist makes its stretchier…)
Hiya molo,
May I ask, are you using the same yarn that is called for in the pattern? Is it for a child or an adult? :think: 66 sts sounds too small for an adult hat n about right for a childs hat. Or if you were using chunky weight yarn 66 sts sounds right also. But if you’re using a thinner weight yarn then 66 is too small fer sure.
Yeppers, in that case I would definitely follow the other ladies advice n increase your cast on amount, at least to 72 (divisible by 6).
You can also try casting on with a larger needle and then move back to the proper sized needles when you get to the first K row.
That should work if it is just a matter of casting on a little to tightly…shrugs
What I mean is after I cast on my circular needles and try to put it in the round it is really hard for me to do it because there isn’t enough stitches and I have a hard time connecting it and pulling the stitch off the needles
Hmmm. Well, there are a couple of solutions to that - first, a shorter-cabled circular needle might help - I think hats usually work best on 16" or shorter circulars, but don’t quote me on that, because I’m a stubborn knitter who tends to make her hats flat and seam them up the back. LOL!
You could also transfer your hat to a set of 5 double-pointed needles in the appropriate size, which would mean that, even when you do the decreases for the top of the hat, you would not wind up having the same problem.
And if you are just stuck with a long circular needle (32 inches or more) and want to make a go of it with what you own - try looking at Amy’s video here on knittinghelp about Magic Loop knitting.
Another last resort would be to find a different hat pattern that allows you to knit it flat, as the length of your cable wouldn’t matter then. 