Knitty Topi brim

How-to Questions
1

Hello!

I taught myself how to knit a couple years ago but just recently (ie, in October/November) began knitting in earnest. I’m currently doing Topi (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATTtopi.html) for my soon to be 12 year old sister but I have no idea what to do for the brim.

Top of Brim
Work back and forth in stockinette st until brim measures 1 inch, ending with a WS row.

Does this mean I do an inch of just plain stockinette before the W&T stuff?

K to last st, W&T. P to last st, W&T.
K to last 2 sts, W&T. P to last 2 sts, W&T.
K to last 3 sts, W&T. P to last 3 sts, W&T.
K to last 4 sts, W&T. P to last 4 sts, W&T.
K to last 5 sts, W&T. P to last 5 sts, W&T.

I’ve been scouring the net trying to figure this out and I think I understand how to do it, I just can’t figure out how it works with the bottom. :??

[i]Bottom of Brim
[Note: While working this section, when you come to a wrapped st, pick up the wrap(s), and knit it (them) together with the stitch it (they) had wrapped.]

K33, W&T. P34, W&T.
K35, W&T. P36, W&T.
K37, W&T. P38, W&T.
K39, W&T. P40, W&T.
K41, W&T. P 42.

Next Row [RS]: K to last st, pick up edge st from top of brim and k it together with last st on left needle.

Next Row [WS]: P to last st, pick up edge st from top of brim and p it together with last st on left needle.

[Note: Knitting edge sts from top of brim together with sts from bottom of brim joins the edges of the top and bottom of the brim, creating a pocket.]

Repeat these 2 rows until bottom of brim measures 1 inch from end of short rows.

BO all sts. [/i]

Ai…now I’ve really confused myself again…

SC

2

Does this mean I do an inch of just plain stockinette before the W&T stuff?

Yes.

Look at Amy’s video on short row shaping to get a picture of the w&t, if you want. All you need to do is to slip the next stitch, bring the yarn between the needles, slip the stitch back and turn your work around. Your yarn will be in the correct position to knit back the other way.

When you pick up the wraps, you’ll see the yarn wrapped around the stitch. Lift it up onto the left tip and knit them together. On the purl side, they’re harder to find, I think they’re on the back.

As for picking up the stitches from the brim, I suspect that will be more obvious when you get to it. I’d wait until I got there to worry about it.

3

Thanks so much for your help! I tend to overthink things so everything always has to be done the most complicated way first LOL :wink:

SC

4

On the picking up stitches from the brim - basically you’re going to “pick up” one stitch in a way that the brim will fold into a pocket. It’s a way of sewing the sides of the brim closed in a way that it will form a pocket without having to do any actual sewing, very smart of the author of the pattern. When you get to this part, I think it will be clearer what you’re supposed to do.

You can also skip that part, and sew the sides of the brim closed afterwards.

5

I ended up just picking up random pieces of yarn from the sides and knitting it LOL. I also ended up wrapping the stitches twice and at the end just created a new stitched and ignored the wraps when knitting the last 2 togther. :rollseyes: It worked and my sister doesn’t even care (which on one hand is nice that she isn’t critical…I just wish I could trust her not to ruin it within a week!)

I’m working on improving my patience, among other things. Is it working?

Thanks for all your help!

6

I am learning the “yarn over” style of doing short rows, instead of doing wraps, on some socks that I am doing. I must say the yarnovers are a TON easier for me to work with, both to recognize while knitting and just to do in general.

I’m supposed to knit my mom a Topi when my yarn from elann comes in… maybe I will try that. I assume you could use it anywhere W&T is called for, not just socks…

Anyway, just something to consider. :slight_smile: Hopefully you are posting picks of your Topi?