Formula for hat decreases?

[Jan in CA]

I know that you can figure it out by using this hat pattern, but if you aren't using that pattern it's got to be easier than I am making it.

Is there any site that lists what the decreases would be for various CO stitches? I am no good at math. This drives me nuts every time I make a hat.

[Ingrid]

I basically decrease the way they do on that site.

I find an even number that my stitches are divisible by, and then start with that.

So lets say my hat has 40 stitches, I have a choice of how I want to decrease, depending on how much more length I want to add.

I could start the decreases with k8, k2tog if I want to use 10 as the factor; I could start with k6, k2tog if I want to use 8 as a factor. Or even 18/2 if I want to start with a very gradual decrease.

Do you see what I mean, or am I being more confusing.

[Julie]

I rarely use hat patterns -- I just wing it -- I usually just cast on in multiples of 6. So when I start my decreases I just do the math to figure out where to start -- i.e. if I cast on 72 stitches, I start with *K10, K2tog* then *K9, K2tog* and so on. I usually do the decrease row, then knit one row, decrease, knit, until I'm to the last 6 decreases -- then I decrease every row and pull the yarn through the last 6 stitches.

[Jan in CA]

Okay, I think I see a pattern here that wasn't clear before. You take the number of stitches between AND the k2tog so a k6-k2tog would be 8..so the co stitches must be divisible by 8. Right? All this might be easier if I was more math literate. I just have trouble remembering what I'm supposed to do... Word problems were always the worst and this is one BIG word problem!

Anyway... I'm getting it.