Can someone help this newbie? All the tutorials for knitted basic hats use Bulky or Super Bulky yarn.
I have a Size 3 Light yarn I want to use with circular needles. It will be a medium adult hat for my sister.
What size needles would I use and what would be the cast on number for the hat?
The yarn label does not tell me what size circular needles to use.
Thank you.
K. Marvel
Honestly, you can use whatever size needle you want that will yield a fabric you like. Work some gauge swatches with your yarn with various size needles until you feel happy with the resulting fabric. Then count the number of stitches and rows over 4 inches to determine your gauge. Take the head measurement and cast one stitches according to that. You can subtract a few stitches from the final number to add a bit of snugging to the hat so it stays on. For example: if you get 6 stitches per inch, you would need 120 stitches for a 20 inch head. You could cut that down by 10-20 stitches for a snug fit.
Size 3 is usually about DK weight which is one weight below worsted. What size needle you use and how many stitches depends on your own gauge. I knit loose so I always have to go down at least one needle size. Tight knitters may go up. How many to cast on is determined by both the pattern you want on the hat and the person’s head size.
Here’s a few patterns for basic hats that might help.
Thank you for your help!
I will work some 4" swatches and then try and figure out what it exactly means to me. 