Curling on brim for Miss Dashwood hat

[dahlia94040]

I just started on a cute baby hat called Miss Dashwood found on the knitty.com site http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter04/...sdashwood.html .

I have no problems with the picot cast off and the first 2 round but when I start working on the stocknette section I noticed quite a bit of curling. I've already finished about 1 1/2 inch of the stocknette stitch and it's almost completely curled in a tube.

I think I'm doing the stich right. Since I'm using a circular needle I knit all around for stocknette (vs. knit one side & purl the other side when using 2 needles).

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I'm doing wrong? Or anyone who's made this hat that can offer any help?

In case it matters...I'm using Patons SWS yarn 70% wool/30% Soy on a #6 circular needle.

[Mirl56]

That's an adorable hat!

I only have 2 ideas. One, when you're done the hat, block the brim. That hopefully will keep it flat.

Or, if you'd rather go back or start over, where you have 2 rounds of seed stich, that may not be enough to keep it from curling. Maybe do at lest 4 or even 5 or 6 rounds of seed sitch before starting the stockinette stitch.

Good luck - let us knkow what you end up doing.

[dahlia94040]

Thanks for your suggestions. Can you tell me what it means to block the brim?

I'm currently opting to start over. Do you know if it makes a difference the fact that I knit using the combined method vs. the continental or the english method? http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting...iques/knit.php

[Mirl56]

http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter02/FEATdiyknitter.html

Here is an article on blocking. You can google 'blocking hand knits' or similar and get more info.

But the more i think about it, all stockinette stitch will curl unless it has some sort of border. I guess the 2 rows of seed stitch even with the way-too-cute picot edging isn't enough to keep it from curling.

[dahlia94040]

I'll try additional rows of seed stitch to see if that'll help. Will keep you posted on my progress. Thanks again!

[Julie]

That's interesting -- I found that the picot cast on plus the first few pattern rows (before the straight stockinette part) were enough to keep my Miss Dashwood from curling. I agree that blocking the brim would be a good idea. And remember that once you do the bobble row at the beginning of the upper part of the hat, things will straighten out a bit too.

[dahlia94040]

Thanks Julie! That's good to know...I was about to start the bobble row before I undid everything. If it happens again I'll keep on going and will try blocking the brim. Will keep you guys posted on my progress.

[knitasha]

...and in answer to the other part of your question: no, the result should be the same whether you do Combined, Continental or English knitting.

[dahlia94040]

That's great to know knitasha. I really like the way the stitch looks using the combined method and would hate to give it up.

Thanks to everyone for their advice so far. As to my progress...I'm not completely finished with the hat yet but I'm making good progress. I added an additional row of seed stitch as Mirl56 suggested. What Julie said was true...once I finished the bobble row things started to straighten out. I also think that using the circular needle created an illusion to the amount of actual curling there actual was.

[Ginnyb]

I love this hat! I want to knit it for my granddaughter! I am still pretty knew at this knitting, are the bobbles hard to do?

Ginny