Hood Help

Hi, can someone please help? I am knitting a sweater Jacket in Sirdar Snuggly DK for my grandson. I am up to the hood. I can’t seem to figure out this part of the pattern. It says to cast on 23 (23:23:26:26:26) sts with rs facing using same needle and yarn work across 18(20:22:22:26:26) sts left on stitch holder at back of neck as follows.

I know how many stitches to cast on, and I know to knit across neck. Here’s my problem, I cast on the sts from the attached yarn from the sts on the stitch holder, and then knit across the neck. Correct? But my working yarn is on the left, the cast on sts is on the left needle. Is this hood to be knitted in sections or one piece? I’m not sure I explained my dilemma accurately, so sorry about that. Hence my confusion. I’m adding a pic of the part that has stumbled me. If anyone can, please explain it to me like I’m 5.


What is the name or number of your Sirdar pattern?
This will all be knit in one piece.
After you’ve cast on the sts take the needle with the cast on sts in your right hand and knit across the held sts for the back. Follow the pattern directions for these sts. When you finish the back sts, change the needle with sts to your left hand and cast on the given number of sts for your size, 23sts.
You’ll be starting on the right edge of the hood as you would wear the sweater and ending on the left edge. A cable or knit cast on works well here.

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Hello
I think the difficulty here is you might be casting on with the wrong yarn?
I can’t be certain but did you have a yarn ball attached to your saved 22 stitches at back neck? And did you use this yarn ball to cast on with? This is what it sounds like to me but I may be wrong.

I would say you need to use a fresh ball of yarn (or break off from back neck leaving tail to weave in) and start your cast ons fresh and unattached to anything.

Cast on the 23

  • if you used knit cast on they are on the left needle, now turn, making this the right needle with new cast on stitches and yarn at point end ready to work into the save neck stitches, work across these as per pattern with knits and makes.
  • if you used thumb method or long tail method the Newcastle on stitches are already on the right needle with yarn at point end ready to work into the saved stitches. Work across these as per pattern.

After working the back neck stitches you need to cast on another 23 for the left side if the hood.
If you used the knit cast on method you will need to turn your work so that fabric and stitches are on left needle, then cast on 23, this puts the new 23 on the same needle as the worked stitches. Once you have done this you are already in position to work the next row, purl, right across the new 23, the neck 22 and the other side new 23.

If you used the thumb or long tail cast on then I can’t help, haha, sorry, I actually don’t know how they can be added at the end of the row. I think it’s not possible but may be wrong.

If it was me I’d add all the new stitches with the knit cast on method because I know how and they can definitely be added both ends.

The first lot of cast ons is the right hand side of the garment as you wear it, the garment is right side facing so you are looking at the back of it, the second lot are on the left hand side of the hood as you are wearing it.

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Sorry @salmonmac I didn’t realise you posted while I was typing.

Hi, thanks for your help. I have just now been able to get to this. You say to take the needle with the cast in sts in my right hand, but then that becomes the inside of the sweater, and that is a purl st. Do I follow the directions, only purl instead of knit? The directions say to knit, then the next row purl. Thanks again.

Thanks for your help. Yes, the directions say to use the attached ball of yarn to cast on the sts. I really don’t want to cut the yarn. Thanks again for helping.

Oh, the pattern number is 1782.

OK, I read it differently.

To me the pattern doesn’t say to use the same yarn that us already attached to the back neck stitches on hold.
To me there are two parts of instruction

  1. Cast on stitches (I believe this is a new ball)
    2.after casting on THEN with rs facing and using the same needle and yarn you just cast on with, work the neck stitches.
    To me the instruction is telling you not to use the yarn attached to the neck stitches.

Although the casting on would effectively put purl row to the rs I don’t think this will matter as I’m guessing this section of new stitches is going to be seamed into the neck/shoulder and front neck as a collar would so the cast on row will be hidden meaning cast on, turn, knit back on rs, pick up stitches on rs, cast on other side.

I know the instruction is a bit confusing but I do think it will work this way. Often jn patterns (admittedly I haven’t done many) I glare at the worst and remjnd myself they need to be done in the order written ie that use same yarn instruction comes after casting on, not before.

Maybe out jn a life line on your saved stitches and just try it? If you don’t have a spare ball of yarn you can leave a long tail or shorter ball at the neck stitches to give you plenty of yarn to use if you need to go back to there.

No, you’re still working on the outside or knit side. Be sure to start on the right front (that’s the right front as you would wear the sweater). You need to cast sts onto the needle held in the left hand but when you start to knit sts from the back holder the needle with the cast on sts should be in your right hand.

Hi - sorry took so long to reply, very busy and was not able to get back to my project. I was so frustrated I could not figure out how to work my cast on stitches to work facing the rs of the sweater, so I added a row so that the cast on stitches would be, and be able to knit across the leftover stitches, and then add the additional stitches to the end of that. I did all that before I read any of your reply’s. I was going to leave it because it was working for me, but me being a bit anal, I wanted to work it according to the pattern directions. So, I took it apart am now working it the way salmonmac wrote for me to do. Maybe I did not comprehend correctly or, maybe I did not end the back on the right row, I am not sure, because that one row is a purl row where a ss stitch should be. Either way it is working for me right now, and I’m ok with that. Live, learn and knit. When the hood is down it will not be noticed. Oh well :woman_shrugging:t2:. I am going to be making the same sweater for my other grandson and I hope it will go better for me. Thanks for all your help.

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Thank you you for your input. I read as use the attached yarn for casting on the additional stitches. That what I did. It’s working for me now and am going to continue.

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There’s often more than one way to work out puzzling pattern directions. Sounds like you’ve solved the problem. Enjoy finishing up and working the second hoodie!

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Glad you found a way to make it work

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