"Inside Out Chemo Cap" - please help!

[cookworm]

Has anybody knitted this hat, or can maybe help me with it? I have two questions.

First of all, which side do you begin the decreases? It says to do the pattern until it reaches 6", but I wanted to make sure I was beginning the decreases on the correct side. I started the decreases on the "smooth" side--that is, the side that I was making the K1, P1's on so all of my purl rows between decreases would be on the same side as they were before, but it looks wrong...it looks like all of the shaping part of the hat if I do it that way will be reverse stockinette and not in the "bumpy" pattern. Is this right?

Secondly, is there a way to convert this pattern to either DPN's or circulars? Would I just do everything the same as it's written, except changing the purl rows into knit?

[janelanespaintbrush]

That pattern looks weird. First of all, in the very first row, it say K1, P1 (garter stitch). But that's not garter stitch. That's 1x1 ribbing.

Anyway. To do this in the round, I think you'd just need to switch your knits and purls on the wrong side rows. The easiest way to do this is to make sure the rows where you purl all the way across are the "wrong side" rows, and change them to knit instead. KWIM? It should work out since they're always every other row.

ETA: I just realized that you already said what I said above... about changing the purl rows to knit. Sounds like you're on the right track to me.

[Jan in CA]

I haven't done this pattern so I'm not sure about the decreases. It looks to me like it was supposed to be done in the round since it doesn't say anything about seaming and tells you to draw the yarn through the remaining stitches after decreasing. If the hat is done in the round the decrease question doesn't matter because it will always be done on the "outside" that you are working on.

[janelanespaintbrush]

It looks to me like it was supposed to be done in the round since it doesn't say anything about seaming and tells you to draw the yarn through the remaining stitches after decreasing.

That's what I was thinking until I saw "sew seam" at the very end.

[janelanespaintbrush]

...it looks like all of the shaping part of the hat if I do it that way will be reverse stockinette and not in the "bumpy" pattern. Is this right?

Yes, I think it changes to reverse stockinette at the top.

[cookworm]

[quote="janelanespaintbrushThat's what I was thinking until I saw "sew seam" at the very end.[/quote]

Me too--that's why I started this hat on straight needles rather than in the round. I would've preferred to do it in the round since I wouldn't have seams to sew up, but I figured I'd make this one hat flat like the pattern indicates, and make any notations of my own on the pattern for future reference. Once I make something once, I'm a little less paranoid about doing it again.

Which side do you think that I should begin the decreases on--the bumpy side (the side that the purls are worked), or the smooth side (the K1, P1 side)? I'm confused! This looked like a very easy hat to do until I came across the decrease issue because the pattern doesn't specify which side to begin the decreases on, and yes Jane, I too caught the very beginning part that indicates that K1, P1 is "garter stitch" (which of course it isn't, but I knew that it wouldn't be garter stitch by looking at the picture and seeing that they wanted you to do a ribbing for the band).

[cookworm]

That's what I was thinking until I saw "sew seam" at the very end.

Me too--that's why I started this hat on straight needles rather than in the round. I would've preferred to do it in the round since I wouldn't have seams to sew up, but I figured I'd make this one hat flat like the pattern indicates, and make any notations of my own on the pattern for future reference. Once I make something once, I'm a little less paranoid about doing it again.

Which side do you think that I should begin the decreases on--the bumpy side (the side that the purls are worked), or the smooth side (the K1, P1 side)? I'm confused! This looked like a very easy hat to do until I came across the decrease issue because the pattern doesn't specify which side to begin the decreases on, and yes Jane, I too caught the very beginning part that indicates that K1, P1 is "garter stitch" (which of course it isn't, but I knew that it wouldn't be garter stitch by looking at the picture and seeing that they wanted you to do a ribbing for the band).

I kinda wanted to quickly sneak in the shaping part of the hat while my baby was laying down for her nap, but I'm not sure I'll be able to now that I had to frog two rows of my work--that took up enough time.

[Jan in CA]

Originally Posted by Jan in CA

It looks to me like it was supposed to be done in the round since it doesn't say anything about seaming and tells you to draw the yarn through the remaining stitches after decreasing.

That's what I was thinking until I saw "sew seam" at the very end.

[janelanespaintbrush]

Although they don't overtly say it, it seems like the "inside out" nature of this hat refers to the idea that you can make a mostly-purled hat easier by working it in mostly-knit and then turning it inside out. So. Whatever you want to show on the outside should be on the inside when you're doing the decreases, I think. Does that sound right?

[cookworm]

Hmmm...I'm not sure why it's called "inside out". What had me confused from the get-go was why the pattern just didn't say to do the hat in the round, saving the knitter from purling so many rows? In my case at least, it would've made the hat go faster (knitting instead of purling), and, I wouldn't have had a seam to sew. I'm so frustrated right now that I'm ready to just put it away, but I really wanted to finish it today if I could so I could block it and wear it right away. Me and my bright ideas--"Oh, this looks easy I can finish that in like a day or two with no problem!" Yeah, right. :(