I’ve been knitting a baby hat which has gone wrong since I have started decreasing the size - can someone help please with how to fix this/explain what I’ve done wrong?
The instructions said to end on a purl before decreasing. To decrease it asked for knit 1 purl 3 before restarting the next row on a knit. I’m not sure why it’s got gaps and has come through backwards. Should I have restarted with a purl rather than a knit stitch? Have I got something wrong with my tension when decreasing or have a dropped some stitches without noticing?
It would help I you type the exact instruction for the row. K1 P3 doesn’t produce a decrease, was it perhaps k1 p3tog? Or K2tog, P3? Or something else? When a pattern says to end on a specific row, like end on a purl row, it can be confusing as to whether it means after a purl row or ready to work a purl row, so the beginning of the row. If the pattern is not supposed to change to reverse stockinette you might have needed to do the decreases on the purl row.
Please give us the name of the pattern and designer. If we can see what’s intended, we’ll be able to help better.
As @Creations said, K1 P3 isn’t a decrease, but it shouldn’t create those holes, either. You can quote a few lines of the pattern, or post a photo of that section.
I suggest putting in a lifeline below the row with the holes and pulling back to that point.
Thank you! Sorry I haven’t explained it very well I’m still getting used to the terms. For this row (with all the holes & when it turns backwards) it should be k1 p3tog then back into k1, p1
The problem may be in the way you move the yarn strand between knit one and the p3tog. For the knit stitch, the yarn is in the back. In order to purl or purl3tog, bring the yarn strand to the front between the needles and purl. Then bring the strand to the back again between the needles if you need to work a following knit stitch. You don’t want to bring the yarn to the front or back over the right needle. That may well be causing the holes.
Here’s a video for p3tog just in case:
It will help to know the name of the pattern and designer. That’ll help with figuring out whether this decrease should be on a knit or purl row.
It could be. You want to be on a RS (right side or public side) row. If the row starts with a knit stitch you would k1, (purl together the next p,k,p then k,p,k) and repeat the directions in parentheses only the given number of times. This will maintain the rib pattern as long as possible.
Rather than keep reknitting your hat, try this out on a small sample or swatch so that you can make sure that the p3tog doesn’t create a large hole. Purl Hunter’s video is a good one to use as a guide but there are others online too.
