Help! I am working a hat pattern that calls for casting on 72 stitches on circular needles, then P 1, K 1 all the way round. I can’t seem to join stitch 1 with stitch 72 without its coming undone a couple of rows later. Any ideas? Thanks
Joining beginning to end on circular needles
Which CO are you using and how do you knit into the 1st st? And do you start with a slip knot? You may just have a long gap between the 2 sts, which you can snug up by knitting the first st, then pulling the yarn to make sure the last st is tight to the first one. One way to join is CO an extra st and knit it together with the first stitch, makes the join nice and snug.
Long tail CO. I purl into the first stitch. Do you mean start the CO with the slip knot (yes) or the round (no). I think my problem is I have a long gap that I don’t tighten up well enough. I like your idea about an extra st!!! I am a new knitter so I hope I answered this properly.
Another “extra stitch” cast on when joiin in gin the round
I like to cast on that extra stitch, then slip the last stitch over the first stitch and give it a tug to tighten up.
Are you joining into the end of your first row? Another words hold your two needles, the end with the “working yarn” is your beginning (that would be my right hand) on the left needle is your end of the row…put the right needle into the left needle first stitch, pull tight, you should see the join immediately, then continue on and you should see you work looking like a “circle”…make sure not to twist your stitches, then watch the video (on circ knitting) here on the forum…Help any?
I think it is caused by the Purl into [B][U][COLOR=“blue”]the Long Tail CO[/COLOR][/U][/B]. Remember you are joining on the RS. My new understanding of Amy’s video and personal experience tell me one should only Purl into a LTCO from the WS. Amy has another video for an [B][U][COLOR=“Blue”]alternate [I]cable[/I] CO[/COLOR][/U][/B] for 1,1 or 2,2 rib. You reverse the LT CO for the P’s by first drawing from the finger then crossing to the thumb. (off to get links to insert.)
I say this because I had a mess when I tried knitting into the WS of a LTCO. A k on the WS is the same as a P from the RS.
Having said that I would ask, is your pattern written for use with circular needles and the LT CO?
Somehow, I discovered that k in the WS of a LT CO causes it to come undone. I am sure doing a P into the RS of the LT CO would cause the same problem.
–Jack.
Jack,
A long time ago the lady who owned a local yarn shop here told me that actually the first row after a LTCO should be a purl row (this is flat knitting). This makes the work more overall flat on the knit side and places all of what I call the “purl bumps” on one side. But you can begin working a knit row after the LTCO if you want to and you can certainly do K1, P1 ribbing beginning with either a K or a P without it causing any trouble. Woring in the round doesn’t change that. You can start right off with st st after a LTCO or do a ribbing and get no problems.
Somehow, I discovered that k in the WS of a LT CO causes it to come undone. I am sure doing a P into the RS of the LT CO would cause the same problem.
I certainly have never seen this to be the case. I wonder if what you are calling a LTCO is not really a LTCO.
My new understanding of Amy’s video and personal experience tell me one should only Purl into a LTCO from the WS.
…
Somehow, I discovered that k in the WS of a LT CO causes it to come undone. I am sure doing a P into the RS of the LT CO would cause the same problem.
Uhhh, no. Most of the time when I work in the round, I purl the first round, and that wouldn’t cause the first st to come undone anyway.
Could be that when thibaud is getting around to the last st, it’s managed to drop off the needle and cause loose strands of yarn
You always “purl” the first row when in the round? No/matter the pat? Could I ask “why”?:??
Try this. CO 73 stitches instead of 72. Now slip #73 from the right needle to the left needle. Now #1 is behind #73 on the left needle. Slip #1 over #73 and off the needle. You now have joined and have 72 stitches. #73 is now #1.
Well, not in every pattern. But a lot of things I use a garter stitch border, So I just start out with the purl round, then knit the next, etc. Sometimes when working in stockinette I purl the first round and it helpe prevent the curling on the edge just a little. Besides, I only follow patterns in a general way, for shaping or st pattern, I usually make them up.
:think: Well I though it was a LTCO (working flat) and Amy does include the note about purling after the LTCO (as it would be row 2 and WS). But, hey, I’m new to knitting so I get one free pass on making mistakes right? 
[I]Mia culpa[/I].
Perhaps I am thinking on the single cast on (also called backward loop) CO. I remember that one kept growing a long float between my left and right needle! I hadn’t dropped any stitches because the count on the left (to be knit) and the count of the right (already knit) added up to the total sts CO.
The only CO video here on KH that I can find now with a k p rib variation is the cable CO (and maybe the knit CO) but I didn’t check that. :eyebrow2: So maybe my memory banks are getting half-zimers (I only forget half the details, or half the time).
–Jack
With the LTCO you don’t [B]have[/B] to make the first row the WS row and purl it if you’re knitting stockinette. Many of us have used it for years and just knit R 1, the RS row, as written. It all depends on how you like the look of it or what you want to do.
I am also working on a hat at the moment (which happens to be my first hat ever). From doing socks, I learned a method of joining similar to what Knitting_Guy suggested. With your pattern, I would cast on 73 stitches instead of 72. Then I would purl the first two stitches together. This decreases the extra stich so you are back down to 72 and (in my opinion) creates a strong join.
Good luck!