Increase in double-knit

[Shetlandspinner]

Hello all,

I'm new to the list and will post an about me thread in a bit. First to my frustration:

Although I've been knitting for years, I'm trying double-knit for the first time with a hat for my granddaughter. She has requested one of these new "snowboarding visor caps" -something of a variation on the UK Punk caps. The visor is longer than a baseball cap duck-bill, but essentially the same.

What I am trying to do is create a double-knit pocket that the plastic visor insert will go into and, once done, put the completed double-knit visor on the circular and continue the hat in double-knit in the round.

Silly as it sounds I cannot figure out how to increase along the edge of the visor pocket and still maintain the open pocket. To keep this test hat simple I have been working it as a single color (single yarn double-knit). I am assuming that I want to increase close to the outer edges of the visor so that my increases follow the broadening bill; I just cannot figure out how. The few suggestions I have found online are maddening in their direction, are working with two colors (which is only confusing me more, lol) or are done well within the body and would not create the nice edge increase I'm looking for.

Any thoughts on this? It's probably just me but this is really stumping me.

Thanks
Cynthia

[fibrenut]

Hiya Shetland,
I too would like to know this for future reference so here's yer "bump" (just to keep it on the first page n all that)!!

[cristeen]

What I would probably do is a KFB and a PFB and then slip the stitches back and forth so that they're in the correct order. Maybe not the most elegant of solutions, but it should work.

HTH

[of troy]

well, to some degree, it depends on what kind of double knitting you are doing!

lets start with simple--(the bold V the first stitch knit..)
(every row, K1, Sl 1)
-V-V-V-V-V-V

to increase:

R1: K1, slip 1, Make 1, *K1, Slip1,
-V-V-V-VV-V

at the end of the row, turn and
work across row till you get to 2 Knit (from previous row)
then M1,
R2: -V--V-V-V-V-V(a hard to see dash, (in blue)
so you end up with
-V-V-V-V-V-V-V
(see the increase? (a V and -(knit and slip) in bold and blue)

using stitch markers on your work will help (just as i used blue and bold to mark stitches here.

In Jacquard double knitting, is very similar

vVvVvVvVvVvVvV is your first row.

to increase as point X (|)

vVvVvVvVvV|vVvV

you'll need to make both a V and v at point |--

decreasing is similar, but different..

you need to 'reposition stitches so you have 2 VV and 2 vv together, (use a cable needle to repostion, then K2tog and P2tog)

vVvVvVvVvV|vVvV
becomes vVvVvVvV|vvVVvV
and then vVvVvVvVvVvV

[ranaepidermata]

What I would probably do is a KFB and a PFB and then slip the stitches back and forth so that they're in the correct order. Maybe not the most elegant of solutions, but it should work.

HTH

I have found in the past that double knitting can be like jugling, when ever I need to do an increase or decrease a third needle is needed to keep the stitches sitting in a layer a layer b order expecialy when doing decreases

[Shetlandspinner]

Of Troy solution:

I should have mentioned that, in order to really understand what I am doing, this hat is a test and is being done entirely in St st.

Am I correct in reading your post that this is an increase to one side (edge in the case of this visor) only? In order to get 1 increase per side of visor I would just repeat your instructions at both ends?

I'm still very confused but thought I should ask before I run a trial with this solution.

I'm very grateful for the suggestions.
Cynthia

[Shetlandspinner]

What I would probably do is a KFB and a PFB and then slip the stitches back and forth so that they're in the correct order. Maybe not the most elegant of solutions, but it should work.

HTH

I tried this M1 solution but the stitches closed the pocket. I clearly am not seeing how to do the M1 while keeping the yarn in yf and yb alignment. I saw a version of this on stitchdiva (she was using two colors) and still cannot fathom what I am doing wrong.

I'll keep plugging along. It's one of those odd things in knitting that one always wishes there was a human around to see it done.

Thanks so much.

Cynthia

[of troy]

if you need 2 increase, (one on each side of visor)

you increase 2 times on row 1, (mark the increase stitches with split ring markers)

then turn work and increase 2 times again.

the first increase will create 2 knits(vs K1, s1) next to each other on row 1

on row 2, you increase again to restore K1, s1 pattern
you'll slip 1 knit, M1, then slip next knit) and once again have a K1, s1 pattern established on both sides of the work.

[cristeen]

If you're closing the pocket, then you're confusing the working yarns at some point. That's why most of the videos will show double knitting with two different colors, because it's harder to confuse them. Only by stitching the front piece with the working yarn from the back or vice versa can you close the pocket. If you knit the front piece entirely with one working yarn, knits, purls, increases, decreases, your pocket will stay open (inc and dec require you to juggle stitches though).

[Shetlandspinner]

Thanks all of you for your help. By George, I think I've got it!

I just ran this test and it is working very nicely. cristenn; you are probably correct; using two colors might have actually been easier in this particular case.

As an aside: Have any of you seen the CD from Lucy Neatby? Having this experience with double-knit has made me realize all the situations I might have liked to use it in past projects and I would like something on hand to push my experience for future projects. Her name comes up repeatedly as the double-knit guru.

Thanks again to all of you. I should have written a week ago. It might have saved me -oh- 5 frogs.

Cynthia