Sunday, January 31, 2010

Tips for the Headwrap Patterns

LINKS TO THE PATTERNS:
Free Knitting Pattern Headwrap (thin yarn)
Free Knitting Pattern Headwrap (bulky yarn)
The pattern is also on Ravelry HERE.

TIPS:
  • Either pattern is easily adaptable to any type of yarn. I will put the specifics for the thin yarn first and for the bulky yarn in parenthesis. You basically want it to be about an inch wide at either end and about 3" (3.75") wide at the widest part BEFORE the crochet border which will add about 1/4" (1/2") on each side. If you want yours to be wider, cast on a few more stitches, still increasing until you have 7" (6.25") of work, work in the rib with no increase or decrease for 4" (4.75"), then begin your decrease which will mirror your increase.
  • Got a big head? or a small one? the 4" (4.75") of straight rib is a good place to add or subtract length. You want your finished knitted piece to be around 18" (17.25") long. Then you'll add the crochet border.
  • It's best to CO an odd number of stitches. This saves you a lot of grief in your first increase row. Also, it's a must to end your increase rows with a row of odd numbered stitches. This ensures that your 4" or straight rib will be correct. This also saves you a lot of grief on the first row of your decrease. 
  • INCREASE ROW - When your middle 3 stitches are pkp, you will kfb into the k stitch, then on the wrong side when you do the rib pattern, you will work normally in the rib, but purl the two middle stitches, then go on with the rib. This is okay because in the next RS (increase) row, you will make a stitch right between them. Since they are two knit stitches, you will want to create a purl stitch between them. You'll do this with a m1b*. When your middle 3 stitches are kpk, you will pfb into that middle p stitch. Then on the wrong side when you get to the middle two stitches, you will knit both of them. Again, it will work itself out on the next row when you make a stitch between them. Since it will be two purl stitches in a row, you will create a knit stitch between them by m1f**
  • DECREASE ROWS - When your middle stitch is a purl stitch (remember we always start our decrease with a row with an odd number of stitches), you will purl the TWO stitches before the middle together (decreasing 1), then kfb on that middle stitch (making 1), then p2tog the TWO stitches after the center most stitch (decreasing 1). So you've decreased 2 and made one, which decreased 1. This way your decrease will mirror the increase. Now on your wrong side you'll have two purl stitches in a row right in the center. That's fine. On the next right side row, you'll simple k2tog. When your middle stitch is a knit stitch, you will knit the two stitches before the middle stitch together, pfb, then k2tog. Again, on your wrong side you'll have two knit stitches together right in the center--it's fine. On the next right side row, you'll p2tog.
  • I like to take a contrasting yarn and thread it through the middle stitch (so it shows on both sides) and use this as a stationary marker. Makes for a little less counting. As you go, you can keep moving (and re-threading) the marker or just leave it where it started and trace the line up with your finger. You won't need a marker at all for the middle section so you can just remove it and then re-thread it when you start the decrease.
  • If you're not familiar with pfb (purl front and back--purl increase). THIS youtube video is a great help.
  • This all may sound complicated, but it's really not. Dive into it and you'll see that it's very intuitive and will make sense once you get going.
Please contact me with any questions, I'm happy to help!!

*m1B – From the back, lift loop between stitches with the left needle, purl into the front of loop (this is an increase that makes a purl stitch and no hole)
**m1F – From the front, lift loop between stitches with left needle, knit into the back of loop (this is an increase that makes a knit stitch and no hole).


For help with both of these increases, try this link. For m1B, watch the quick video called m1R ON THE PURL SIDE (it's on the left side of the screen). For m1F, watch the video called m1L (main video is the correct one for this project).

13 comments:

  1. I am struggling with knitted flower instructions - can you please help me??? Small Flower: cast on 66st. (K3, bind off 9 st) 6 times. So do you start off with the K3 and bind off 9? To me that is 12 x 6 = 72sts. So I guess I don't understand how you end up with 12 sts. Can you help me
    Thanks. Mickie. rubystarks@ymail.com

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  2. I'm having a hard time with the flower. I can't find the pattern. I feel like such a big dummy. Please help me. Tiffany tcking6@gmail.com

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  3. Tiffany,
    I have e-mailed you this info but I'll put it here too for anyone else wondering about the flowers.

    The flower in the thin yarn version of the headwrap is knitted and is found in Susan B. Anderson's book Itty Bitty Hats. It's on page 90 on the hat called "Felted Flower Child". Do you have that book? It's AWESOME!! I have all her books and I just love them!

    The flower in the bulky yarn version is crocheted and is this one:

    For The Flower:

    Large (5 Petal) Flower - Using a J hook, chain 10, join with a SS into first ch to form a ring.
    1st Round - (Ch 3, 1 sc into ring) do this 5 times. Join with a sc into first st.
    2nd Round - Into each chain loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 6 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. Fasten off.
    Smaller (4 Petal) Flower - Using a J hook, chain 4, join with a ss into first st.
    1st Round - (Ch 3, 1 sc into ring) do this 4 times. Join with a sc into first st.
    2nd Round - Into each chain loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 4 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc. Fasten off.
    Bobble for center - with size 10 knitting needles, CO 1, kfb until you have 4 stitches, k 1 row, p 1 row, k 1 row, p 1 row, k 1 row, do not turn, lift second stitch over the first, then the third and then the fourth, fasten off first stitch. Tie the ends together using the tails, stuff a little if desired (I just used one of the tails) and sew around the edges a bit if needed to form the bobble.
    Layer the flower together and attach to the headwrap.


    Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any problems/questions!

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  4. First of all, thanks so much for the pattern! I can't wait to get started!
    However, I'm new at knitting patterns, so I don't know what most any of your terminology means. Can you explain in lamens terms what the "You will begin with 7 stitches, increase on the middle stitch on every RS row for 6.25”, knit in pattern 4.5”, then decrease back down--again, always on that middle stitch" at the beginning means?

    thank you thank you!

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  5. Anonymous,

    Here's what I mean:

    You start by casting on 7 stitches. When you increase, you always do it at the middle of the row. You increase only on the Right Side rows. After you cast on, you'll increase until you have 6.25" from the cast on edge. Then you'll knit straight rib for 4.5". So you'll have a total of 10.75 - 11" from the cast on edge. Then you will decrease (middle stitch, RS rows) until you are back down to 7 stitches.

    Let me know if you need more help.
    ---Tif

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  6. I'm enjoying working on this and I think it will look great once I figure out a few things. For some reason I can't figure out how we can talk about a "middle stitch" once we have started increasing. Doesn't the first increase row make the row end up with 8 stitches on the needle? What is the "middle stitch" of an even number? What am I missing? Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you!

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  7. If your row has an even number of stitches, you increase BETWEEN the two middle stitches. If there is a middle stitch (ie rows with an odd number), you increase that stitch.

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  8. Hi, I love the headwrap but I have problems decreasing. I dont know why but dont look like the increasing.In addition I have a little hole in the middle where I increase in the middle. I hope you can help me. Thanks

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  9. I love this pattern so much! I was wondering if you have a crochet version? I am new to knitting, but really love crocheting. Thank you so much!

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  10. No sorry. I don't have a crochet pattern--just knitting. I've seen some around on ETSY or Ravelry.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm loving the challenge of knitting this pattern. BUT i have messed up. I actually ended up with 35 stitches instead of 33 (no clue how that happened) and have knitted the 4" in the middle. Is there any way I can recover or should I just start over?

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  12. Bekah,
    You are fine! Just decrease always on those middle stitches back down to your original CO and you should be fine. This pattern is very flexible and forgiving. You can change your CO or change the length and/or width to suit your head size. :)
    ---Tif

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  13. Thank you so much for posting! As a novice high-school knitter, I've been searching for more creative patterns since December and this is by far my favorite! The Tips section is a wonderful way of resolving any confusion; before, I was often discouraged by long-winded, ambiguous patterns on the Internet. I can't wait to see the finished product!

    ReplyDelete

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