I’m a newbie starting my first “real” project. (I’ve done some practice rectangles etc. to make sure I knew how to do the stitches and stuff.) It’s a generic hat out of Ann Budd’s “Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns.” I have two questions.
First, when a pattern calls for “decreasing,” but does not specify a specific move (k2tog, ssk, etc.) what should I use? Or does it matter?
Second, does anybody have any advice on moving the yarn from front to back to front when knitting a *k1 p1 or *k2 p2 ribbing pattern? I can knit and purl fine, but I seem to be all thumbs at switching the yarn back and forth when I change from one to the other. I figured it would improve if I practiced a bit, but so far it hasn’t.
To dec it may not matter depends what you’re doing. For sleeves or sweaters, you may want to do a ssk/skpo at the beginning of the row and a k2tog at the end. That way they’ll be `matched’ - the one at the beginning leans left and at the end it leans right.
In ribbing just remember to move your yarn between the needles not over them. It’s one of those things that improves (slightly) with practice. I don’t do a lot of ribbing myself.
A swirl, or something that looks like the spokes of a wheel (all even and symmetrical)?
If you like the swirl look (I prefer this one myself) then just decrease evenly on the crown using [B]only one decrease[/B] either SSK or K2TOG, but not both. (SSK will give you a left-leaning, clockwise swirl; K2TOG will give you a right-leaning, counter-clockwise swirl.)
If you prefer the more even, pizza-pie/wheel spokes look, pair your decreases like Sue said: do a SSK followed by a K2TOG (you could put a plain knit stitch in between the decreases if you don’t want the seamed look to be too prominent).
Whichever method you choose, make sure to distribute your decreases evenly across the rounds of stitches. Otherwise you’ll have a lop-sided crown!
Thanks for the advice! I’ve got about 2 inches done so far and it’s going well. I’m finding it easier to move along now that it feels like I’m working on a piece of cloth rather than just a bunch of string. I may post an in-progress photo after I get into the main part of it.
I had to reply about the ribbing. One of my early knitting projects quickly had way too many stitches because I didn’t get the hang of switching the yarn. Oh, well. You can always frog it back!
Anyway, if you’re doing k1 p1 ribbing: knit one (yarn in back). Move your yarn to the front. Purl one with yarn in front. Move yarn to the back. Knit one… If you’re doing k2 p2 ribbing, it’s much the same: knit 2 (yarn in back), move yarn to the front and purl 2 (yarn in front), then move yarn to the back so you can knit 2. Hint: don’t wrap the yarn around the needle when you move it from front to back or back to front. Also, make sure you aren’t in the middle of knitting/purling when you move your yarn. It can be a bit awkward, but you eventually get in a rythym of needle in, wrap, slip, yarn front, needle in, wrap, slip, yarn back, needle in, wrap, slip, yarn front…
When I make hats, I usually go with a K2tog unless the pattern says otherwise.
What style of knitting do you do? It works differently for the different kinds. I have to say that I think Continental knitting which is Amy’s (the KH video lady) preferred method is the best once you learn it, but it is a little harder to learn. Check it out, at least, in the video section. It will be the pink camera. The yarn just flows easily from front to back for the purls to the knits and is so much easier to do for ribbing than English style IMO. Others love English. I learned English and later switched to Continental and I love it for the changes between knit and purl.
I’m pretty much doing it “continental” now. (Previously I was using the “let the yarn hang off in space and wrap it around after you figure out where the needles go,” which I’m sure is not recommended. ) At any rate I have posted a pic to the photo area.
cftwo…I’m interested in what you said about the stitches increasing when you rib. I spent the whole weekend casting on 138 stiches for a hat, doing a row of knit 2, purl 2, etc, then a row of purl 2 knit 2 and everytime I had increased the stitches. It drove me mad. Is it likely to be how I’m bringing the yarn over? I’m on the verge of abandoning it even though its only my second project…sob!
You may well be bringing the yarn over the needles. For ribbing, move it between the needle tips to switch from p to k/k to p. Do a row being conscious of how you move it and see if that helps.
The yarn just flows easily from front to back for the purls to the knits and is so much easier to do for ribbing than English style IMO. Others love English. I learned English and later switched to Continental and I love it for the changes between knit and purl.
) At any rate I have posted a pic to the photo area.