edge of hat/bind off

[avonlea]

I'm trying to make this beret:

http://knittingdivine.blogspot.com/2...e-pattern.html

At the end, it says, "Rows 65 – 72: Knit

* If you want a tighter or looser fit, bind off a little before or after Row 72. If you want to take it off the needles to try it for size, be sure to put in a lifeline on live stitches using a thick yarn."

So it's using a garter stitch for the headband part of the beret, but I was wondering if a rib stitch would work better? I also don't understand how making the band wider/longer would make it looser?

When I made the hat for the first time (I'm redoing it now), it felt really tight, so I'm wondering if I should just start the band part after Row 62 instead of 64, and do a really loose rib stitch?

Any suggestions would be so great!

[Knitting_Guy]

Making it more rows away from the increases leading into the top would make for a looser fit, closer in to them would make for a tighter fit. That makes sense as the further you make it away from the more narrow part the more it can stretch.

I'd say do it as described and adjust the width as needed to make it fit. You could do a rib if you want, it's your piece after all, it just won't look exactly the same. Of course that's not a bad thing as I am a huge fan of improvising.

[MerigoldinWA]

I have only made a couple of flat hats, but lots of hats overall. I looked at the pattern and I take it that it is starting at the top and working to the head band.

* If you want a tighter or looser fit, bind off a little before or after Row 72. If you want to take it off the needles to try it for size, be sure to put in a lifeline on live stitches using a thick yarn."

I'm not exactly sure what that means. I don't think just making the band longer would make the size much different.

But consider this:

Keep increasing to Row 50. Medallion’s width should be at least 11 inches. If it's 12 or 13 inches, that's even better. If it's smaller than 11", keep increasing the medallion.

So it sounds like after you have done the medallion part if the size is not as large as you'd like that you can keep increasing it the same way you did before until it is as large as you'd like. Thats for the flat part of the top.

I would think that, likewise, as you approach the head band that if it is small enough just don't do all the decreases that it says. I didn't look closely enough to see how many stitches you lose with each decrease row, but you could stop after a given row, or if you need something between what two rows of decreases would give, perhaps the last decrease row you could only decrease at every other spot or something like to arrive at a size between what regular decrease rows would give. When the size you'd like is reached, just switch to garter stitch and make the band the length you'd like.

[avonlea]

ooooh, that's a good idea. maybe I'll do the decrease at every other section for row 64, and it'll be a leetle bigger. then just make the band wider and try and knit kind of loose.

thanks guys!!