Hats: Top-Down, or Bottom-Up?

[GrumpyGramma]

http://www.karenjoseattle.com/karenj...t-cast-on.html

Thank you. That's how I do my provisional crochet cast on. I'll have to try it for my cast on.

[Shandeh]

I've tried EVERYTHING to loosen up my bind off. No luck. So, I just admit to the world that I'm a rotten binder-offer. I fail in that category of my knitting.

Please don't try to help me. It's a lost cause. I've read every trick, watched every video, and tried them all. I give up.

[GrumpyGramma]

I've tried EVERYTHING to loosen up my bind off. No luck. So, I just admit to the world that I'm a rotten binder-offer. I fail in that category of my knitting.

Please don't try to help me. It's a lost cause. I've read every trick, watched every video, and tried them all. I give up.

That's OK, nobody can be perfect at everything. Your video helped me get so I can do a good join when knitting in the round and you should really feel good about that!

[suzeeq]

Have you tried with no tension on the yarn at all? None, just drape the yarn around the needle.

[Fergablu2]

I've tried EVERYTHING to loosen up my bind off. No luck. So, I just admit to the world that I'm a rotten binder-offer. I fail in that category of my knitting.

Please don't try to help me. It's a lost cause. I've read every trick, watched every video, and tried them all. I give up.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall09/FEATjssbo.php

[mojo11]

Yes except you use the same yarn as for the project and you don't chain any extra stitches or zip it off, but just leave it and begin the pattern.

I've picked up stitches with a crochet hook (out of desperation as much as anything) but I've never tried casting on with one. I've seen the video for using one in a provisional cast-on, but I've never tried it. I'm kind of a disaster with a crochet hook... a danger to myself and others. But I'm getting better... slowly. At least I can use one for fixing dropped stitches and end weaving now. That's growth I guess.

When I was first learning to BO I remember thinking it looked like it'd be easier to do with a crochet hook (I had an AWFUL time getting the hang of binding off). But I never had the nerve to actually try it (see disaster reference above).

[suzeeq]

You can either CO with one, or pick up in the bumps of the chain, which is easier, especially if you use a lot larger hook to chain them. You can BO with a hook, using it like a needle, but you need to use a larger one than the needle. I've tried that and it's harder to do than with the needle. There's another way which would be start at the beginning of the last row you knit, then just pull the 2nd st through the first stitch and work across that way. But that can make a tight edge unless you knit the last row with a much bigger needle.

[GrumpyGramma]

You can BO with a hook, using it like a needle, but you need to use a larger one than the needle. I've tried that and it's harder to do than with the needle.

I've purposely used a smallish hook so that I get a firmer bindoff. I prefer it over seaming and it works on shoulders where some would say a seam is better because it's not as stretchy.

[suzeeq]

That may be fine at the shoulders. I just don't like tight edges on anything. I usually knit sweaters seamlessly anyway, or use a 3 needle BO for shoulders.