knitting a baby hat

[OHmama]

I'm new here and not sure if my post earlier was eaten or what Anyway,I haven't had luck with hats in the past..the one I tried has been sitting 2-3 years

I'm trying to make a baby hat atm..the pattern says to use size 8 needles but the yarn I bought says to use 10 with it. Do I still cast on 54 stitches like the pattern says or just cast on until I get to 11"? I'm using the pattern from Bev's Country Cottage.(The forum won't let me link)

If my other post shows up too..sorry

Thanks for any help

[salmonmac]

Hi and welcome!
You really need to make a gauge swatch to find out how many stitches to cast on and with which size needle. Usually the pattern will tell you how many stitches you should have over 4inches of knitting. Cast on 4-6 more stitches and knit for about 4 inches worth and then measure the number of sts over the center 4 inches. If you have more sts than the pattern gauge calls for, use a larger needle; if too few sts, use a smaller size needle. That's the best way to determine which needle to use and how to make a hat that'll fit.
If this is the pattern, it doesn't give a guage. Still, cast on about 24sts and knit in k2p2 rib to see how many sts you get over 4 inches when slightly stretched. Then you can figure out if you need to change the needle or the number of cast on sts.

[OHmama]

It's the pattern from here

I think my 10s are occupied and I wanted to use size the pattern calls for.I think I'm going to need to cast on a few more..I've never done a test swatch.

[GrumpyGramma]

Recommended needle sizes are just that, recommended. I rarely make gauge in the needle size the pattern recommends. It's a good idea to try the size the pattern calls for but chances are you'll need to swatch with at least one other size, maybe two other sizes, sometimes it takes more. The Gauge Basics video is great and will help you to see what gauge swatching is all about.

[OHmama]

But that pattern doesn't tell me how many stitches I need per inch..maybe I should find a different pattern.

[suzeeq]

The yarn you bought that uses 10s is a bulky, and while you can use the size 8s, the stitches will be a lot tighter with it than a thinner yarn. You won't need to CO more stitches, maybe a few less, so do try a sampler with about 16-20 sts to see how many per inch you get.

[OHmama]

This is the yarn I have. The pattern says to use a 4 ply..what does that mean?This yarn,I just saw is a 4-medium. Sorry for all of the questions..I have a hard time sticking with projects and would hate to get it knit up and it be wrong!

[suzeeq]

Can you link to the pattern or give us its name? A 4 ply yarn may simply mean it's got 4 strands in it and could be the same as the one you linked to. Or it may also mean a 4ply fingering weight which is half as thick.

Even if the pattern doesn't say how many sts per inch the gauge is, you can divide your sts into the number of stitches to see how large around that would make it. If it's larger than the head you need less stitches.

[OHmama]

It's the pattern from here

Bev's Knitted Newborn Hat

It would be so simple to knit if I could just figure out gauge!

[GrumpyGramma]

This is the yarn I have. The pattern says to use a 4 ply..what does that mean?This yarn,I just saw is a 4-medium. Sorry for all of the questions..I have a hard time sticking with projects and would hate to get it knit up and it be wrong!

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/abctree.html#KNITHAT Is the knitted cap on that page your pattern?

That one calls for LB Pound of Love, Knit: 19 stitches x 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) on size 8 (5mm) needles. The yarn you linked to says, Knit Gauge: 16 stitches x 24 rows = 4".

You might consider running to Walmart or some place similar and picking up some LB Pound of Love or at least look at it and feel it to get an idea of how the two compare. I'm knitting with LBPoL to make a sweater. It's so soft, I love it.

If you want to look at other patterns, here's a search result on ravelry for Easy Newborn Beanies. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sear...c=beanie-toque