Hi there, I’m new to this forum and would like to ask if there is an ‘easy’ way to convert a 4ply pattern into a double knit one ?
Welcome!
What is more important than the ply is the gauge (stitches per inch.) What is the listed gauge for the pattern?
Hi, thanks for replying so quickly. The tension is 7.5 sts. and 9.5 rows to 1 sq inch. It is a really old pattern from the 1950’s. Having thought about it I suppose I should try doing a tension square and try to work it out from that. Didn’t have my thinking head on this morning !!
Adding to the mix is that this is an older pattern (very useful information, by the way!) and the different ways in which the term “4-ply” is used. In the UK, 4 ply is generally fingering yarn, which makes sense for such a fine gauge in this pattern. In the US, 4-ply is often associated with “worsted weight” (which is different from worsted in the spinning process, just to make it more complicated:noway: ) DK is a lighter worsted, and it would be very hard to get 7.5 to 9.5 sts per inch. If you have some DK and want to use it, you might try looking for a similar pattern with a gauge of about 5 sts per inch. You could use your original pattern, but you’d have to basically re-design the whole thing. If you do want to use the pattern, then try using sock yarn.
You might be able to get gauge with a sport weight (some of anyway, others are pretty thick). Some DK yarns are pretty thin, so it just depends.
You could try the dk with a needle that seems to produce a gauge you like, figure your sts/inch and multiply times the size you need. See if another size is close to the same number of sts and use those instructions.