 |
this post addresses cindy's comment in which she asked about a beanie i made:
"Do you use a pattern? I also like to make beanies [...] can you pass
on some tips?"
unfortunately, no, i don't use a pattern. i have knitted many a beanie and they didn't always turn out to my liking. in the beginning it was all trial and error. i used to knit them flat and, if you can believe this, sewed them up! they were always too big or too small. i must have knitted and ripped seventeen beanies before i got one right.
as for tips, i have these:
1. fit preference: i like them snug. my head is 22.5 inches in circumference. a noggin, i know. an oddly shaped one at that. anyway, i find that the beanies that fit me best measure about 19 inches around unstretched. length wise i prefer my beanies to be just long enough to cover my ears. no specific numbers. i just pull the beanie in progress over my head and check the length as i knit along. easy.
2. knitting gauge: i've knitted enough beanies to know this about my own gauge for very snuggly fit beanies:
a. for us7 needles, cast on 90 stitches.
b. for us8 needles, cast on 85 stitches.
c. for us9 needles, cast on 80 stitches.
seems like all i ever use is worsted weight yarn so those numbers always work for me, particularly for plain stitches like stockinette. for fancy stitches, i add/subtract a few stitches from the cast on template to accommodate pattern repeats. when i knit a beanie with a cable pattern, i cast on another extra five to ten stitches to account for the unstretchy nature of the cables.
3. decreasing for crown: i love the tailored look of the four double decreases every second round, similar to that of a raglan sweater.
unfortunately, this method doesn't look good with ribbing and cable patterns. for those i still employ the eight stitch decrease every second row except i spread them evenly around instead of at four points. i fudge it a little depending on the number of pattern repeats. for instance, if i had nine cable repeats, i'd decrease one stitch from each cable on the decrease round. in other words, i'd decrease nine stitches instead of eight.
4. stitch patterns+designs: i shamelessly copy the ones i like seeing in stores and on people's heads. the nicest ones are always the simplest ones. always.
5. notes:
a. despite believing that beanies are better knitted top down, i almost
always knit them bottom up.
b. when using ribs or cables, aim for a pattern repeat of seven, eight,
or nine, making it easy to adhere to the (around) eight-stitch-every-
other-round decrease principle.
c. unless it's a real clever design, avoid knitting a beanie flat at all costs!
i always have a beanie or two on the needles and about nine on the brain. i find them very satisfying to knit, not to mention portability and "giftability." i hope my notes are helpful. if you have more questions yet, please feel free to ask me.
how about you? what are your tips on knitting beanies? got pictures? don't forget to share!
|
|
