Can you help me figure out the gauge?

LoveBugAngel · 02-19-2012, 07:23 PM

My best friends mom has cancer and has lost all her hair. So I thought I would knit her a hat. I told my friend but she said she has no idea the size of her moms head. She said that since she lost her hair when they buy hats everything seems to be a bit big on her. So I am thinking that her head is maybe 20?? d is 22, her's is significantly smaller

I began making a hat but just guessed the number of STS, I have 96 cast on and am using k2 p2 rib. I took a photo of what I have been knitting with a measuring tape.
(edit: photo in my next reply)

I think I am knitting 10 sts per inch. So for it to fit a 20 inch head will 96 sts work? Or do I need to add more?

I am using Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo yarn.

Thanks!

Jan in CA · 02-20-2012, 12:52 AM

Your link doesn't work...it's not a typical jpeg link or even a web link.

I've made chemo caps and I just make a normal hat, but with a few less stitches. Like instead of 80 I cast on 72. I always use a soft yarn with no wool and it's usually worsted weight. The last ones I made with Berroco Comfort.

Are you sure you're getting 10 stitches to the inch?? What size needles are you using? Looks like that's DK weight.. http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library...baby-bamboo-dk which is normally about 22 stitches over 4 inches so nowhere near the 40 you're getting.

suzeeq · 02-20-2012, 01:25 AM

Are you counting all the sts or just the knit sts you see on the k2 p2 rib? If you're not counting the purls that makes your gauge 5 sts per inch and 96 sts would be about 19". The ribbing should be stretchy enough to cling or stretch so that could be okay.

LoveBugAngel · 02-20-2012, 01:36 AM

ack sorry about the link not working

I'm using 3.50 mm needles (maybe 3.25 mm) not sure cause they aren't labeled and are smaller than my 3.75 mm

I've attatched a photo of my knitting with a measuring tape, and a photo of the friend I am knitting the hat for, she is the one sitting down. Hopefully u can see her head is much smaller than my mothers and mine. Mine is 22, so I almost wonder if it's possible she has smaller than 20, or maybe it looks smaller because of the lack of hair. I'm not sure.

LoveBugAngel · 02-20-2012, 01:37 AM

Originally Posted by suzeeq

Are you counting all the sts or just the knit sts you see on the k2 p2 rib? If you're not counting the purls that makes your gauge 5 sts per inch and 96 sts would be about 19". The ribbing should be stretchy enough to cling or stretch so that could be okay.

I meausred then what I saw as an inch I went up to my needle and counted 10 sts INCLUDING the purls

suzeeq · 02-20-2012, 02:19 AM

Oh, with that small a needle I can see you'd get a lot of sts per inch. What's the yarn? If a yarn is knit to a denser gauge than usual, it'll be a little more rough than when knit to a looser gauge.

LoveBugAngel · 02-20-2012, 02:22 AM

Originally Posted by suzeeq

Oh, with that small a needle I can see you'd get a lot of sts per inch. What's the yarn? If a yarn is knit to a denser gauge than usual, it'll be a little more rough than when knit to a looser gauge.

This is the yarn I am using http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library...baby-bamboo-dk

suzeeq · 02-20-2012, 02:41 AM

Hmmm, it's not that thin a yarn, you could use a 4 or 4.5 mm with it and it would be soooo cushy. Then you'd have to CO only 80, 84 or 88 sts though.

LoveBugAngel · 02-20-2012, 02:47 AM

So I can't use any 3's? Cause I cast on 96 and have been working in the round, I wanted to know if it will fit her if her head is 20"

I'm not sure if I am measuring right, it's 10 sts per inch Including purls, so wouldn't that mean 10 x 20 = 200 ?

But that would be without it being stretched.

I don't have size 4 dps. I have 3.25, 3.50, 3.75 then I jump to 5mm and I initially started with 5mm but I was getting ladders, thats why I went down to a smaller size.

suzeeq · 02-20-2012, 03:24 AM

Okay continue with the 3.75s I just thought they might be a little small for the yarn. Yes, if you're truly getting 10 sts per inch then you need about 200 for a 20" hat. However, hats should be an inch or 2 less than the head size or they're way too big. So maybe 18" which would be 180 sts IF you're really getting 10 sts per inch. It's hard to get more than 8 sts per inch in sock yarn on size 1 or 2s and your yarn and needles are a lot bigger than that. Measure the 96 sts slightly stretched and see how wide across that is. Your gauge is probably more like 6 sts per inch in reality which would make the 96 sts measure about 16" around or 8" across.