HELP! Need to dec a hat but don't know a pattern..>>

#1

First of all, I have 114 stitches on it (I have a big head). No pattern, just knitted in circles.

  1. I need to know how many decreases in each row…
  2. Since when it sits on my head, I only have about 5 inches open, do I need to decrease much faster?

In case you’re wondering, this was going to be a tube scarf, and it still might if i don’t have enough room to decrease but right now it fits on my head very well.

Thanks!

:slight_smile:

#2

Generally you start decs about 6-8" from your beginning, depending on how long you want it and if you want to turn up a cuff. You would normally decrease anywhere from 8-12 sts per round, so you need to find a number that divides into the sts you have. 114 isn’t going to work, but that should be okay. Maybe decrease about 4 sts on one round, then start in a real decrease round on the next. K8, k2tog all the way around, knit one round, then k7, k2tog around, knit one round. Keep up this pattern knitting one less st between the decs and one round between dec rounds. If you want, you can see what decreasing on every round works out to, but that would only take a couple of inches. Decreasing in this way should take you down to about 11 sts. Try it on and if this seems like it will fit okay, cut your yarn with a 4 inch tail and pull it through the sts left on the needle like a drawstring; I pull it through twice to make it secure. Then weave in the end on the inside and trim.

#3

K9, k2tog for 2 rows
K across 1 row
K8, k2tog
K7, k2tog
etc.

Would that work?

#4

That’s pretty much what I was suggesting, you just have to have the right stitch count to start with. If she goes down to 110 sts either way will work - start with k9, k2tog, or k8, k2tog. And having one or two rows of plain knitting in between and eventually just dec every round works too, it just depends on how fast you want the top decreased.

#5

So I should do 4 k2tog on the next round then start the dec? Oh, that is what you said…OOPS!!! I’m such a dolt…

Thanks in advance. I REALLY like patterns-I’m not too brave when it comes to winging it. :mrgreen:

#6

No, I said you’d have to decrease 4 sts to bring your stitch count down to 110 to make it divisible by 10 or 11 so the top decreases will be even. So you’d knit about 26 sts, then k2tog, k 26, k2tog, k26, k2 tog. Then if you want, a round or two or three more without decs, then start the top decs with either k9,2tog, or k8,k2tog.