Starting a Hat

[Knit4Fun]

Okay, so I am still working on some scarves to learn some advanced stitches - I just learned to cable two days ago and although the stitches seem pretty tight...they look GOOD - but I am ready to move to other things. Especially since here in VA, we've had mostly non-scarf weather so far!

I want to start a hat and the question I have is pretty basic - most of the patterns I look at have COs of 80-100 and yet the pattern calls for needles between 7-10 - it doesn't seem to me that all those stitches will fit unless you get a longer set of needles (I am talking about straight needles - haven't gotten into dpn's yet and although I've bought round needles, haven't tried those yet either). It seems that the longer needles are kind of bulky to work with.

Thoughts or do I just go for it and try it?

[suzeeq]

If you're doing a 2 needle pattern, you could fit that many sts onto regular 10" straight needles, but most people use circular needles or dpns and knit in the round. I think 10" needles are too awkard to knit with anyway, 14" would be awful. All of my knitting is on circs, you can knit back and forth on them like straight needles.

[Knit4Fun]

Sounds like it's time to 'graduate' to the circular needles or dpn's. I'm sure my cat Lacey will LOVE the new style of knitting. She comes running when she sees my knitting bag come out and sit on my lap purring the entire time I am knitting. She used to do nothing but grab at the yarn, needles, row counter, etc. - she is getting more refined now and only occasionally makes a swipe at something I am working on. I told her if she behaves, she will get her cat afghan MUCH sooner...not sure if that impressed her or not. Probably not.