Making things "thicker"?

#1

I’ve made the Kittyville toque from SnB and want to make the Jellybean toque with the cables, but am having a problem with all my knitting projects, especially toques. While the Kittyville toque turned out looking great, since it’s knit with worsted weight, it’s just too thin and flimsy to be of any real use in a Canadian winter. Right now, it’s more of a “style” toque than functional.

Okay, with that explanation out of the way (!!), how can I make my future knitted toques thicker and warmer? Double up the worsted weight? Switch to a thicker yarn? If I do either of these ideas, do I decrease the # of stitches that I cast on? If so, by how much???

Help please!! :doh:

#2

You could double knit, or do a “fake double knit” hat like a few people around here have done. Here’s a kids’ pattern done with this method: http://secure.elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=6024 You just use a provisional cast on, knit the hat, then pick up the stitches from the provisional cast-on and knit another hat in the other direction. Voila, double knit hat. :smiley:

eta…here’s a much better example and explanation from Ingrid:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?p=77649&highlight=double+knit+hat#77649

#3

I agree…I have made several “fake DK” hats…for men who work outside in Chicago winters. They LOVE them!

#4

Cool! Thanks for the ideas and links!! Now, for my next question…if you were going to knit a toque with cables in this way, would you knit the “inside” toque with the cables as well, or just knit in stockinette? I’m not planning on using two colours (just plain ol’ black), so it being reversible isn’t an issue.

#5

If it doesn’t need to be reversible, then I’d just knit the inside in stockinette–quicker and smoother.