I am still wrestling with a problem with my hat.
I am shaping the crown. I have done some decreases on one row but on the next row I cannot deal with the next row because it is k1below. Each time I reach this stitch there is unravelling. The pattern speaks of making sure to go through all 3 stitches but it doesn’t work for me. I have not been able to find a solution.
What is the name of your pattern and designer?
Does the problem occur when you work k1b into the stitch that made the decrease or does the unraveling occur in every k1b?
Are you putting the right hand needle directly into the stitch below? That should catch both the stitch below and the stitch above which is still on the left hand needle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge9blEYNxRw
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The designer is Jody Long and it is a pattern called Oak in the book called Knitted Hats.
I have no problem in working k1b in a normal row but the problem arises when I am trying to work k1b into the stitch that made the decrease in the former row.
The designer has a note that says if a double decrease has been worked on the previous row, work into all three loops when knitting or purling into the stitch below.
I have tried to follow this advice but somehow it unravels. I’m sure it is possible but I can’t work it successfully.
I spoke to you a while ago but there was no video to show how to do this
Thank you so much for considering this problem as it is probably really simple but I just can’t work out how to position my needle into the three loops.
It’s not easy to do with the knitting needle but a crochet hook can help. The hook is often recommended in cases where large numbers of sts have to be knit together and it will help here. Insert the hook from left to right through the 3sts, pull through a loop of the working strand, let the 3sts plus the current stitch on the needle come off the left needle and place the loop from the crochet hook on the right needle.
It’s a little awkward to work but I hope it doesn’t come up too often in the pattern.
Very good-looking hat pattern!
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Thank you so much for your help on my hat pattern.
I think I am still not working the k1below properly despite your help in telling me to use a crochet hook to achieve the neat finish which does not unravel.
My problem is that I cannot be sure which 3 stitches I need to use to make sure that the final result does not unravel. I have never had a problem with k1below but this coming after a double decrease has defeated me.
I hope that you can identify the 3 stitches that will make the k1below work properly.
Many thanks
I wonder if putting a marker on these sts would help. Could you pull a strand of thin yarn through when you pull the main yarn strand through? Admittedly this all sounds too tricky by half for a simple set of decreases at the crown of the hat.
Hello
I’ve never done this but I was just thinking, if you keep getting unraveling stitches anyway could you tink back 1 row to before you did the double decrease, when you get to it use a finer thread, like embroidery thread, on a tapestry needle and make a loop through the three stitches before you decrease them. Tie a knot in the maker loop. Then on the next row when you need to work in all three stitches you can pull on the loop and it will pull a leg of each stitch out creating a “hole” to work into and you can also follow the direction of travel of the contrasting yarn to get a smaller crochet hook through the three stitches.
Another thing to try is to place a removable marker or safety pin on each of the three stitches before working the decrease. Anything to help get a needle through the correct hole.
I notice with my knitting, sometimes I can manage a maneuver in one type of yarn or needle size but struggle on a different yarn or needle size. It could just be that it’s tricky for you with this yarn for instance.
I tried working this step with and without the marker on the sts. Either way, the easiest solution was to place the 3sts from the row below onto the left needle then knit them together with the next stitch on the left needle. That completes the k1b and it’s easy to see that you have the 3 decreased sts all sitting on the left needle with no stitch left behind!
One other thought. Working the k1b is a bit simpler if you work a centered doubel decrease instead of a k3tog on the decrease row. I had initially tried it with the k3tog but it’s easier to go through the centered double dec when you knit into the stitch below.
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