I finally found my 40″ circular needles, and transferred this never-ending beret to them. Spread out, this is an ugly item! Too much open space between verticals and cables. Too many stitches. Way too big even for the 40-inchers! Maybe I’ll felt it.
Despite that, the progress has been educational. I think my original pattern with a lot of cables would be far more interesting to look at, though admittedly I am rather tired of them right now.
For the last couple of weeks knitting has wandered in and out of my day, along with my sourpuss attitude. This latter has, I hope, been vanquished, even if temporarily.
I’ve been really frustrated by this pattern, so decided to try it from the bottom up. And, it began to make sense. The pattern has changed rather considerably, but the lacy mock cable and top down construction remain. I’m not doing as many cables – considerably less. Where I had planned a number of cables, I am now using simple a line of knit stitches on a purl background. All knit stitches are now knit through the back loop except for a couple, which will be seen in the pattern.
The most interesting element is just how much simpler the pattern is, and so much easier to knit as it grows more organically once a certain level is reached in the stitch increases.
Decisions Made!
I thought about this beret a bit, and did a little research on shapes of berets and tams, and decided that I could continue on straight along on 240 stitches. I also transferred the stitches to a longer needle – I think it is a 36″ one – forgot to measure it before transferring the stitches – and the hat fits very nicely on it. The plan is to continue until there are at least 7 pattern repeats – about 35 rounds – before considering decreasing toward the brim. This choice will be dependent on the diameter of the hat at this point, or the distance of the radius, which would be measured from the base of the tab.
Truth Time
And now for a confession: I am using size 6 needles! Not 8s like I originally posted.
Final Rounds Before Decreasing
This is the pattern I plan to follow, beginning with the last increase round, which is rnd 19.
| Rnd 18: | *k2, p2* to end | 192 |
| Rnd 19: | *k1, yo, k1, p2* to end | 240 |
| Rnd 20: | *k3, p2* to end | 240 |
| Rnd 21: | *K3, p2* to end | 240 |
| Rnd 22: | *MCCO, m1 purlwise, p2* to end
Note: This is to keep the stitch count the same. If you did *MCCO, p2* to the end, the result would be 192 stitches.
|
240 |
| Rnd 23: | *k2, p3* to end | 240 |
| Rnd 24: | *k1, yo, k1, p1, p2 tog* to end
Note: The p2tog is at the end of the purl section, in the idea that it will balance out the decreases 2 rnds previous
|
240 |
| Rnd 25: | *k3, p2* to end | 240 |
| Rnd 26: | *k3, p2* to end | 240 |
| Rnd 27: | *MCCO, m1 purlwise, p2* to end | 240 |
From this point on, rnds 23 through 27 will be repeated.
Purlwise Increases
From the point I began doing the purlwise increases, I have stayed with the purl increases being done in the stitch below. How I approach this increase depends on whether the stitch on the left needle is a purl or knit stitch.
To do them, on a purl stitch, I just stick the needle into the front “pearl” under the live stitch. The needle looks like you are ready to knit. Take the left hand needle and tuck it into the front of the stitch on the right needle, and remove the right hand needle. The stitch is now twisted properly. Purl it like you would a normal purl stitch.
The ones done next to knit stitches I go in from the back into the loop on the right side of the knit stitch with the right needle, and lift the stitch directly onto the left needle with the right. The right hand needle should be in the purl position. Purl the stitch. If your next stitch is a purl, continue on; if the next stitch is a knit, bring yarn to back of needle, and knit the next stitch.
Doing your purl increases prevents holes from magically appearing in your work.
A Few Thoughts
I’ve now reached round 19 of the beret, and when I do the yo increases for the pattern, I will end up with 240 stitches on the needles. Ouch! That seems like a lot of stitches for a beret that is only 6 inches in diameter at this point. Will it even fit on the 16″ circulars? Each cable repeat, from MCCO to MCCO is a smidgen more than 3/4 inch. All these are being considered as I begin the next round of patterns with their increases.
A specific design element I am thinking about is that the beginnings of new cables may be best started with an MCCO – it creates a visual beginning for the pattern. I wouldn’t do it at the base of the tab because I don’t think it would look good. Maybe it would . . . I could try it out!
Another thing which has cropped up is that there are holes where I have done purl increases. PFB is not really tidy, and the picking up the bar between stitches to make an increase seems to leave the holes. I decided from about row 15 to try using the stitch directly below the next stitch to create the purlwise increase, and it seems to be working. Until the beret is off the needles and blocked, I doubt I can really assess the pluses or minuses of any of these increase methods. So far, though, the purlwise increase through the stitch below the next looks the best.
Decision Time
Do I keep on increasing as I have been? One of my favorite berets is about 10 inches in diameter before it begins decreasing toward the brim, and has a 36 inch circumference at its widest. If each mock cable is about .75 inches, to make a 5 inch radius would need 6 2/3 repeats – really, 7 cables. If I do the math, the number of stitches is astronomical.
Some increases need to be done, otherwise a tube shape will begin to develop. Maybe I increased to rapidly – the only way to judge would be to remove all the stitches onto a line.
Hmmm . . . .
I’m going to do one more cable repeat, and take it from there. And look for a 24 inch circular needle as well!
Is the yarn the right yarn for this design??
I chose the Full of Sheep yarn because I was curious as to how it would knit up with textured stitches. It is a soft yarn, much like Lopi Light, but perhaps less scratchy. It may not give very good stitch definition because of the fact it is not plied, but really is more a rather dense finger roving.
Getting the Pattern Set Up
I started this beret a couple of times, and was not at all pleased with how I was progressing. I wanted to have 6 pattern repeats at the beginning, and then expand the hat by adding them between. It did not work out right in my head at all – certainly not in the way I was knitting it up. I thought about it on the way home from work, and realized I wanted to have 24 stitches for the pattern set up, with a base of k2, p2 to start.
At home, I drew out the k2, p2 to total 6 repeats. From here, I worked backward to my 4 stitches at the bottom of the tab. This picture shows you my sketch. The 24 stitches eventually became Rnd. 3 in the table below.
Abbreviations Used
k = knit
kfb = knit front and back of stitch
p = purl
m1 purlwise = make one purlwise by slipping the left needle into the strand between the stitches, then purl through the back loop of the strand.
pfb = purl through the front of the stitch, then purl through the back of the stitch
yo = yarn over
Make 1 Purlwise
This video is a very nice demonstration of this purl increase.
Begin Body
Row 1: Using the doubled stitches of the I-Cord, kfb, k, kfb, k (6 sts)
Divide sts onto 3 dpns, pm. On Rnd 1, be sure to move some of the stitches onto needle with marker.
| Rnd 1: | *K1, m1 purlwise * to end | 12 sts |
| Rnd 2: | *kfb, p1* to end | 18 sts |
| Rnd 3: | *k2, pfb* to end | 24 sts |
| Rnd 4: | *k1, yo, k1, p2* to end | 30 sts |
| Rnd 5: | *k3, p1, pfb* to end | 36 sts |
| Rnd 6: | *k3, p, pfb, p* to end | 42 sts |
| Rnd 7: | *MCCO, m1 purlwise, p4, m1 purlwise* to end | 48 sts |
| Rnd 8: | *k2, p2, m1 pw, k2, m1 pw, p2* to end | 60 sts |
| Rnd 9: | *k1, yo, k1, p3* to end | 72 sts |
| Rnd 10: | *k3, p3* to end | 72 sts |
| Rnd 11: | *k3, p1, pfb, p1* to end
Note: I experimented with* m1 purlwise, p3* versus *p1, pfb, p1.* I decided that the p1, pfb, p1 looked better in the long run. |
84 sts |
| Rnd 12: | *MCCO, m1 purlwise, p1, k2, p1, m1 purlwise* to end
Note: Here I decided that maybe two rows of k2 would look better before beginning the k1, yo, k1, as was done in Rnd 4. |
96 sts |
| Rnd 13:
Note: This is where round repeats begin. |
*k2, p2* to end | 96 sts |
And here is how the pattern looks so far, stretched out onto the dpns.
The next needle will now be knit with the circular, and I will use the following pattern, which I think will become the basis for the rest of the beret until I begin to decrease for the brim.
| Rnd 13: | *k2, p2* to end (Note: Check for the MCCOs on this row) | 96 sts |
| Rnd 14: | *k1, yo, k1, p2 to end | 108 sts ? |
| Rnd 15: | *k3, m1 purlwise, p2, m1 purlwise* to end | ? |
| Rnd 16 | *k3, p4* to end | ? |
| Rnd 17: | *MCCO, m1 purlwise, p1, k2, p1, m1 purlwise* to end | ? |
The yarn is stretched out, so the pattern is taut on the needles. Does not look great now, but may when relaxed. I’ll look at it on the circulars later on.
When constructing the first few rounds, it is easier to create a purl stitch by doing a pfb rather than trying to m1 purlwise. However, once it becomes easier, it should be done; equally important is remembering to purl through the back loop, as done in the video, as the stitch is much nicer.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 