i just bought a 16" US 6 circular needle to make a hat with…but i’m kinda lost from here, :doh: what do i do now? i watched the video, it looks simple enough, but i dont know how many stiches to cast on or how many inches to go b4 i start to decrease. i’ve never knit in the round b4 and i’m not doing magic loop or anything just basic knitting in the round
oh and another question: when i get to the point where i have to switch to DPNs do i have to or can i switch to magic loop(using the same needle)?
somebody :pout: please give me some advice to get me started
That pattern must have an error. :?? There is no way you can decrease to the end on a 16in circular needle. You need to either use DPNs, 2 circs or magic loop.
i dont have any DPNs :doh: or another size 6 circular. this is my second attempt to make a hat (first i bought size 10.5 29" circs, then found out 29 was way to big) and i guess the second time i’ll give up. i have a hat pattern done in straights though, so i guess i could give that one a shoot.
these circs may become obsolete in my stash though. hmm…i guess i could try magic loop again w/ the 10.5s. :figureditout: and maybe i can make some legwarmers w/ the 6s!
[b][color=indigo]Here’s a great recipe I found somewhere.
Cast on in multiples of 11. I use 88 for most adult hats and I’ve been using 77 for youth hats.
Join and do ribbing if you like. I like k2p1 myself. Rib for at least a couple of inches more if you want the ribbing to cuff.
Switch to knit around and knit for six to seven inches from the cast on or the fold if you’ve decided to make a cuff.
Then start the decreases. For the 88 stitch cast on, knit 6 and then k2tog. For the 77 stitch cast on knit 5 and then k2tog around. Knit the next round Then knit 5 (or 4) followed by a k2tog.
Continue alternating the decrease round, always knitting one less stitch before the K2tog, (IOW K4 k2tog, knit around. K3, k2tog, knit around)with the straight knitting round till you have too few sts to be able to continue knitting.
Switch to two circulars or 3 or 4 dpns to decrease even further. OR just cut your working yarn about 8 inches long, thread onto yarn needle and run it through all the live sts on your needles. Cinch tight, weave in ends. You’ll have pleats in the top of the hat, but at least you can make a hat without investing in another set of needles.
I’d consider saving your pennys to get a set of dpns or another circular needle to assist in hat making. It’s certainly worth the investment to minimize frustration.[/b][/color]
I know I’ve seen a pattern online somewhere where instead of using decreases for the crown, it’s gathered up like a drawstring bag. Of course I can’t find the pattern now, but if you do some digging, you might be able to. The basic idea was that you knit a tube, and then cinch it at the top. It’ll obviously be a little different looking from your run-of-the-mill hat, but you might think it’s cute. (Hm… it may have been a pattern for a child’s hat, now that I think about it – it wouldn’t be hard to adapt to adult size if it was.)
I don’t know whether it appeals to you, but it’s a hat style you could make without having to buy additional needles.
Oh yeah. I’ve also seen hats that have “corners” at the top – that would be another fun look that wouldn’t require shaping. Here’s one of those. That pattern mentions DPNs near the end, but you wouldn’t have to use a DPN for three needle bind-off. A straight needle in the same or smaller size would work just as well.
I think this might be the hat Jane is talking about it. It’s adorable and has larger sizes for adults and teens. This one IS a seamed hat pattern, but I want to try it on circs w/o seaming. Seems like it would be an easy transition to me.
Yeah, it was something like that, though I think it may have been a different one because I don’t remember it being seamed… but yeah, I agree that transitioning to circs would be a, well… piece of cake for that pattern. :teehee: