I was given 30 hat patterns from the 1970’s all with straight needles.
I knit hats in the round only. Do I need to do anything special to these patterns when knitting in the round? I know not to use the purl back row used with straight needles.:knitting:
With 30 different patterns there is room for a lot of variation in what is going on and how they might be made. In general you may need to adjust for selvage stitches that may be given, they aren’t needed in the round, but if there is ribbing or some pattern stitch you need to think about what to do to make the stitches come out right at the join. With ribbing it is easy, you need a multiple of 2 for 1X1 ribbing and multiple of 4 for 2X2 ribbing, etc.
If there are fancy stitches going on beyond just St st you will need to work alternate rows backwards and do the stitches the opposite of what they say. Like if it says to k6, p3, (k1, p1) 2 times and repeat all that you would need to need to (k1, p1) 2 times, k3, p6 and repeat.
I like to work a bit of any pattern stitch flat that I plan to work in the round that way I can see how it looks and understand it better. Then I do my hypothetically correct adjustments on paper and then try them out and see if they work out looking the way the flat sample did. A few patterns won’t reverse, but most will with some thought.
Sounds like a fun project.
Just remember that you’re always working on the right side when you work in the round.
The right-side rows of the pattern will be correct, but the wrong-side rows will be reversed in order and in stitch. Knit the purls and purl the knits.
If you make a chart of the pattern, I find it helps to envision it; also, so often the ws rows are just knit the knits and purl the purls, which is something you’d do on the right side, as well.