Work on the hats continues. Students are knitting in the round for the first time and enjoying the fact that they don’t have to purl. Most students have found the color-stranded technique so easy that they are putting in more rows of two-color knitting than they had first planned. I have given students a couple options for ending the hat, decreasing or no decreasing.If you don’t want to decrease, you just knit until the hat fits your head, cut the yarn leaving 12 inches or so, thread that through the remaining stitches, pull tight and fasten. I found this on hats in Knit Your Own Norwegian Sweaters (referenced at the right). You have to add a pompon to cover the hole in the top because it will not cinch completely closed with so many stitches.
A simple decrease is the spiral. Six spirals give you a flattish top. Take the number of stitches and divide by the number of spirals you want, and then subtract two. For example, if you have 120 stitches the math is 120 / 6 = 20 – 2 = 18. Start decrease rounds when the hat fits up to the point where your head starts to curve. When you’re ready to decrease, knit 18 stitches then knit 2 together, repeating this all the way around. On your next decrease round work one less stitch before you knit 2 together and continue to step down in that manner. Generally, if you want a tighter fitting cap, decrease every row; if a taller hat, decrease every other row, knitting a plain row in between. For a stocking cap, you can knit several rounds between decreases. Work until you have about 10 or so stitches, cut the yarn leaving 6 inches, thread through the remaining stitches, pull tight, and secure the end of the yarn on the inside of the hat.
Two hats are done, like this one that belongs to Stephy, a sophomore from Guangzhou, China. She used the decrease option but worked a double decrease similar to hats in Poems of Color, rather than knit 2 together she slipped 2 stitches as if to knit, knit 1, then passed the slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This gives straight decrease lines rather than spirals. The color work comes from 2 shades of Noro yarn with various designs drawn from Fair Isle patterns.
13 comments:
I started decreasing last night. I have never done the spiral decrease before. It took me some time to make sure I was doing the correct math, but I really like how it is turning out.
I chose a traditional Norwegian pattern for my hat and I think it would have been nice to have a third color to further define the pattern. Stephanie
I had never knitted a hat before, and was very intimidated to start it. Turns out they are very simple!!Knitting with two colors was fun, i also thought that that might be difficult. I'm really enjoying knitting, and can't wait to knit more things in the future!
I felt like I did much better on my hat than I did on the bag. I did not screw up on the hat at all...which was a relief! I actually could relax and enjoy knitting the hat. I am very happy with the way it turned out! the yarn I chose turned out really neat because it changed colors as I went, which made my hat look more complicated than it actually was. Cassie Henke
I thought the hat was so much easier than the bag. I actually felt like I was making a ton of progress. The only real problem I had was decreasing. I just couldn't get the hang for it but I think my hat still turned out okay. I kind of am excited to knit another hat but with a more elaborate design. This project was really exciting and I can't wait to wear it.
Ashley
For the most part I am done with my hat except for the pom pom, which we are learning today. I was actually really worried about starting the hat but after a awhile it became alot easier. Also, I expected that using two colors would be difficult but it really wasn't any different. I chose a flower pattern and it turned wonderfully! As far as the brim, I am interested in trying the harder one for a challenge.
it was easier to put two colors into a hat than i thought it would be but it ended up taking a much longer time than i thought it would to get to the end product.
-katie mehrmann
i loved making the hats, it was so fun. i had knitting night parties almost every night. i cant wait for the net project. :) -Jonas Broccard
I had never knit with two colors, which actually turned out to be quite easy to knit with.
I really liked the hat project, it was much easier than i thought it would be. Using two colors was not as hard as I expected. The hardest part for me was the decreasing but I liked the way it turned out.
Decreasing was definitely the hardest part for me. I kept forgetting when to double stitch but it all came together at the end anyway.
The hat project is actually really fun. I am so surprising how the yarn color can affect the hat so good. I think the decreasing is the most important and complicate part, especially at the end, the stitches are so tight!! But it turns out good. I have a little problem with the length of my hat. I should pay more attention next time.
Although the hat project was frustrating at times, it felt cool in the end to know I didn't know how to knit a week earlier and now I had this hat that I could actually wear. Knitting with two colors ended up being easier than I thought and it was fun playing with the colors to make different designs.
-lindsay nestande
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