[Roar]

I'm trying to learn to use DPN to knit in the round. I'm attempting to make a hat that starts from the crown. I'm using a pattern from Hip Knit Hats and I'm confused.

It starts out with CO 12 stitches and dividing on three needles. Okay, got that. Knit the first round. Okay, got that. Rnd 2: *k1 m1* repeat around-18 stitches total. Here's where I'm confused. If I follow the pattern of knit one and make one on each needle I'm going to end up with 7 stitches on each needle for a total of 21, right? What am I not getting?

Thanks.

 

[mamadaisy]

Well it would seem to me that if you were to divide 12 by 3 you get 4 stitches per needle to start, right? Then if you were to k1, m1 you would be doubling the number of stitches on each needle (and hence, overall as well) give you 8, right? And 8 times 3 is 24, no? I'd find that instruction confusing as well.

 

[PrincessCass]

I would think if you have 4 stiches on each needle and you knit 1 make 1 you would have 8 stiches on each needle. total of 24 stiches. I have no idea where they get 18 stiches.

:

 

[Roar]

Thanks for trying. I've been learning on my own and sometimes I get really stuck so I can use help.

The way I'm seeing If I'm starting with four stitches on the needle and I'm instructed to k1 m1 repeat around. On the first needle I could
k, m1, k, m1, k, m1, k (I don't know how to make one when I'm out of stitches) so that would be 7. I'm supposed to get a total of 18 stitches though so that is adding two per side, right?

Would the rest of the instructions help it make more sense?

Rnd 4: *k2, m1* repeat around - 24 stitches total.

Rnd 6: *k3, m1* repeat around - 30 stitches total.

Repeat rnds 1 and 2, each time adding an additional k st before each m1 until there are 8(9) sts before each m1 - 60 (66) stitches total.

 

[feminist~mama]

I think I'd likely just make two st per needle to get the correct count and chalk it up to poor pattern writing.

It looks like they want you to increase by 2 st per needle with the first few increases, so I'd likely just do that and not worry about it.

Good luck!

 

[mamadaisy]

Yep...it all works out if you only cast on 6 stitches instead of 12, which btw sounds more workable because with 12 you will have a bit of a hole at the top whereas 6 will create a much smaller hole.

You will need to learn to m1 after the last stitch on the dpn in order to make this pattern work (at least on that first row, after that I suppose you could rearrange the stitches on the needles in a way that kept you from having m1 after the last stitch has been worked.

A few questions...which technique are you using to m1? I would suggest using www.knittinghelp.com to look at some of your options. In this case I would use either a straightforward backward loop (can be loose and wonky) or pick up the bar of the stitch below and knit into it twisting it in order to tighten it. You could also kfb (knit into the front and the back of the same stitch...again see knittinghelp.com). I have done top down pieces this way. Good luck!

 

[Celery]

I'd cast on 6, too. That way the increases will be even as the hat grows. Or you could k2, m1 around in the first round.

To make one in the gap between needles, just do what you'd do between stitches, that gap is the same. Lift the bar over the needle in your left hand and knit it with the needle in your right. Then get your new needle and continue knitting.

 

[Roar]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! All of the comments were a big help. I ended up keeping the 12 stitches for the CO because I can't seem to make it six without getting everything twisted. I changed the directions to just doing 2 M1 per side and it looks really good. There is a hole you could drive a truck through in the middle because this is bulky yarn on 10.5 needles.

I'm hoping double points get easier at some point. It feels really awkward and not fun at this point.

 

[Beth-TX]

I'd recommend giving up on the dpn's and learn magic loop instead. The step by step instructions on Knit Picks are very easy to follow.

Just my 2 cents.

peace, Beth

 

[cinnamonamon]

I had a hard time w/ dpns at first too; as you get more stitches on the needles and several rows into it they will be easier to manage. Everything is so floppy at first!