First time doing rib and in need of help

How-to Questions
1

I’m trying to make this cute little hat here: http://leftinstitches.blogspot.com/2005/12/dobby-hat.html

But I’m having a few problems with it.

-The pattern is set in a k4p4 rib at the beginning, but it calls for 70 stitches. Why is this and should I work as the pattern says, or modify to a multiple of 4 for my stitch count?
-I did the rib as it stated (k4p4 but with two extra knit stitches at the end to make up for the extra) and when I went back, there were knit stitches going through what should have been the straight stockinette section. Is there a special way of doing a rib that I don’t know about? Or maybe this wording will make more sense: When working in a rib is the instruction continuous? For example, if you have 10 stitches in a k2p2 rib, would the first two stitches of the second row be in a knit because the rib stops at the end of the rib or would you work in whatever came next (in this case, purl)?
-It calls for sl1 and ssk, one right after the other, for the decrease section. Does this mean that I can just do two of either one, because they have the same result, or do you all think that the different decreases are important? Later in the row it has a k2tog right before a sl1 and the same question applies here.

Thanks in advance for your help, Knitting Help members!

2

I would work it as it says. There must be a reason. If you want to be really sure, you could contact the pattern designer.

When working in rib, when you get to the next row, you have to know how to read your sts. You work them AS THEY APPEAR. If you reach a st that looks like a purl st, then you purl it. If it looks like a knit st, you knit it. As an example, if you finish a row with 2 knit sts, when you turn, the first 2 sts facing you will be purls, so you purl them. It’s best to be able to read your sts, rather than rely on what you did in the previous row.

[I]sl1 and ssk are NOT the same. A simple sl1 is not a decrease, so you cannot interchange them. Sl1 is slipping one st from the left to the right needle without working it. You do not drop it from your needle, so it isn’t a decrease.

As for the k2tog followed by a sl1, same thing. Since the sl1 is not a decrease, you do them both as written.

I’m sure you’ll get other responses before too long, and perhaps they’ll be better at explaining than I am. I’m not great at explaining things.[/I]

3

the pattern is a 4 x 4 rib–the 2 extra stitches are selvage (seam allowance) stitches. (when you sew the hat into shape, the 2 extra stitches get “hidden” inside the hat…

so the pattern is K1 (selvage) 4 X 4 rib (68 stitches) K1 (selvage)

Sl1 is slip one (move it from one needle to the next with out knitting or purling.) S1 is a common (not my favorite, but that’s neither here nor there!) selvage stitch. (i prefer a plain k1 for a selvage stitch)

ssk is a decrease (specifically a decrease that leans to left (\)
K2tog is another decrease (specifically a decrease that leans to the Right (//)

using right and left leaning decreases is a fine detail to make an attractive [B]set [/B]of decreases

you can make all the decreases K2tog or SSK… it will be slightly less attractive. (a detail that you as a new knitter might not see, but an experienced knitter would notice… (but not be able to actually see unless she was holding the hat in hand!)

Knitting is all about details… some matter, some don’t mattter as much, and some are optional!

ME? i would K3, then P4, then K4/P4 (as many times as needed) and end row with K3 (that is, i would have the seam be in the middle of a k4 group of ribbing.

r2, K1, P2, (K4/p4 across row) end with P2, K1. (the selvage would always be knit)

but there is nothing wrong with Selvage (slipped or knit!) K4/p4 across row, selvage…

ITS JUST a PERSNICKITY detail -(one way Vs the other.)

to some degee, YOU OWN you KNITTING. and you can follow a pattern exactly or you can change things.

its like cooking… some cooks take out a teaspoon (or a half teaspoon) and measure every thing…(there are measuring spoons labeled “a dash” for those who don’t trust themselves to measure a dashl)

the more you stray from the details of a pattern, the more likely you are to have something slightly different than the sample photo.

sometimes, a dash of this or a dash of that doesn’t make much difference… but sometimes it does…

(sometimes straying from the details of the pattern doesn’t matter much, sometimes it makes a huge difference)

YOU get to decide how you want to work.

4

Thanks for the advice about the selvage and how the seaming works, Of Troy. Also thanks to both of you about the decreases advice; going back to look at the site I got that info. from, I realize I misinterpreted what it was saying. :smiley: However, Knit4Pie, I tried knitting and purling ‘as I came to the stitches’ and wound up with something that certainly did not look like a rib. Did I misunderstand you, because afterward I tried working the OPPOSITE of what came up - knitting the stitches that came up purled and vice versa - and I got a nice rib. Sorry if I misunderstood. The other explanations from you were very good, though. ^^

5

Work the stitches `as they appear’. Forget what you did to them on a previous row; on the current row, knit what looks like a knit and purl what looks like a purl.

6

Just think of stockinette…you knit one row, then you purl the next. When you knit one row, the “v” is facing you, and the purl bumps are at the back. Once you turn, the purl bumps are towards you, so you purl.

If you’re working in the round, when you start the second round, you see the “v”, so you knit.

Same principle in rib. You want all the "v"s in the same column, all the purl bumps in the same column, so you have to work the stitch how it appears, not how you worked it on the previous row.