I CO 90 stitches, but not being a math wiz I can’t figure out how do the decrease. How many should I knit before k2tog?
Decrease question for hat
i would do 7 i think
If you did K7, K2tog it would give you 10 decreases per round…or you could start with K13, K2tog and you’ll have 6 decreases per round. I guess it all depends on how you want the top of the hat to look. 
Yes, that’s what it says on the site with the basic hat pattern:
*If your number of cast on stitches (“D”) is divisible by 9, start your decreases for the top of the hat with K7, k2tog…; if by 8, start the decreases with k6, k2 tog…; if by 7, start dec by k5…etc
Crap! I just remembered I co 92 because I was doing a k2p2 ribbing…am I going to have a hard time decreasing evenly?
I would, a few rows before you want to start your decreases, K2tog one time at the middle and end of your round. I just had to do that (I had 80 sts and wanted 78 to begin my decreases) and it’s not obvious.
Maybe you could cheat and decrease two stitches before you start on the 7? Maybe knit 3 together on opposite sides of the hat? Do you think that would work?
I think that is what I’ll have to do. If I’d thought of it I could have decreased before I started the stockinette or at the beginning of it. So much to learn! Thanks for the help!
Wellllll…that didn’t work out so well. Where I k3tog it left holes so I frogged back (thank god for lifelines) and took a good look at it and thought about it a bit. I also noticed that I had 93 now… have no idea where the extra came from and nothing seemed off. :?? Anyhoo… I decided to increase by k2tog 3 times sort of evenly around on just one row…then I did the regular increase rows as usual. It came out fine. The top isn’t as smooth as I’d like, but I am learning. I think now that I’ve done a few hats I need to start the decrease rows earlier than it says in the pattern which would allow me to continue with the two knit rows inbetween longer. Next hat I’ll give that a try. I washed it and am drying it now because it’s cotton and tends to get stretched out when knitting. If it’s still too large we’ll just give it to an older child. 
Pictures tomorrow…
So I knit up a test copy of http://www.figandplum.com/archives/000021.html with stash yarn to see how it works out before i dove into making a super nice one with Cashsoft. anyway, she doesn’t list the yarn type or gauge, i took a plunge and used aran weight on size 6 needles. It fit well, a little snug and i’ve got a tiny head 21 1/2" When it came to decrease time it seems that the pattern might be wrong… The decreases start on a purl stitch but to align properly it should start with knit stitches. Thats problem 1 i need help fixing… the second problem is the Cashsoft version is for my BF who would need a bigger hat, on top of this, Jimmy Beans (where i got the yarn from) didn’t have any aran weight (wasn’t made aware until after i ordered - they couldn’t find it), so i got DK and figured i’d double strand. OF course two balls later and i need more and i’m unsure that the sizing will work out. The question is, say i use the basic hat pattern forumla http://www.mielkesfarm.com/bsic_hat.htm cast on 100 say instead of 80, but do it DK weight on size 6s (the stated size for that yarn) would that work? what do i do about the decreases? OR what about going up to size 8s and still doublestranding? if so, how would i do the decrease then (as the pattern for decreases would still be incorrect if i started on purl stitches)
THANK you!
teri
I’d see what the gauge is and then cast on according to the Basic Hat pattern.
BUT, I would cast on a multiple of 16, I think. The decreases for the hat you posted start with 16 stitches on each needle. If you had to cast on more to make it fit, I’d add another 16 inch section, do you think that would work? I don’t want to say for sure, since I haven’t done this type of decrease, but it makes sense. 
As for knit/purl side for the decreases, do whichever looks right.
that makes a lot of sense thank you Ingrid. But when it came to decreasing wouldn’t i have to decrease more to avoid making the hat 10’ long? how would that work? or do you think i should just go up to needle size 8s? and keep with the doublestrand?
teri
OR could i stay with 6s, do a single strand of DK CO 80 but extend the length to say, 12" before decreasing?
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. It would take longer to decrease with extra stitches. Maybe you could start them sooner, I really don’t have a definitive answer.
Maybe you should do the 80 stitches with the doubled dk on 8’s and see if you could make the orginal pattern work. Actually, you could see what your gauge is on the 8’s and compare it to the Basic Hat Pattern. If it’s not big enough, you might even be able to go to 9’s.
Thank you again for your insights Ingrid. I just realised, if i did multiples of 16 (this would be 7 sections)…
and just added an extra decrease for those extra sections would that work as well (on 6s)?
or am i totally off track now?
teri
My only consern about adding extra decreases is that you’d lose the swirled effect on the top, but I really can’t say for sure.
So, went to go pickup a pair of circulars size 8 (was planning on sucking it up and buying the denise set but my local LYS didn’t have it). So tangent, i’ve decided they really creep me out. They’re not bitchy. They act friendly but i feel like its an act. Even the owner. Just a cold personality… I will go there if i need something asap and they have it but its just not a comfortable place to be. It’s a shame its really close by. Maybe i’m just being sensitive, but i just dont think they have erm, personality!
anyway, SO…
I frogged the hat 6+ inches (to the beginning) and, lacking a swift and winder, used my lampshade. then rolled it all back to a lint roller with no stick. yay it looked cute, but oh dear, a few yards in it was all tangled in the center. The size 8 needles seem to work ok, the stitches aren’t as tight as on the 6s. I think i just have a loose tension on circulars. Any makeshift swift ideas/winder ideas? i’ve ordered a winder from Joanns (50% off) but since it might take a week to get here and i want this done this week for valentine’s day (must be shipped out) i’m sitting with a beautiful and soft yarn mess…
Ingrid as always you rock.
teri
Thanks!
You could roll a ball by hand–people have been doing that for centuries! Have someone hold the yarn or put it on a chair back or two.
yeah i would just skip the center pull ball if it is too big to just make a bobbin of yarn out of. just roll it into a regular ol’ ball and if you are worried about it rolling around, put it in a baggie and feed it through a hole.
the reason i wasn’t hand wrapping is because the same thing always happens to me there as well. i’m eyeing my tripod as a possible temporary fix. i wish there was a site with subtitutes. thanks for all your help!
teri