Tart Hat Knit a Long

[ravingcutie]

Here it is. The actual thread. Let's get talkin'!
:blah :knit :talktalk

We can also set up Zirc chat times!

[ravingcutie]

Haven't cast on yet. But my swatch is swell. 1/2 way through I discovered I should be doing it in the bobble stitch. Duh! You'd think I couldn't read....but the guage is much better. Pretty much right on. Yay!

How goes it, baking mamas? :sigh:

[mamapez]

I have the crust on the needles using the magic loop method, and am starting the ribbing. I am sooo glad the crust section is a stand alone piece (picking up stitches for the filling). I have a feeling I will be frogging the filling a few times. :)
I must say that it has been much easier to knit with this yarn then it was the first time. I don't know if it is the magic loop or the added experience...

[ravingcutie]

The bobble is easy to lose stitches on. Luckily it's not obvious if you have to add them back in.

[mamapez]

Okay, so she talks about a bobble round and I'm guessing that is half of a bobble pattern and then the decrease row 1 and row 4 should be decrease row 1 and row 5 (meaning do the decrease instead of purling the whole row), correct?

Whew! I took me 2 hours just to get the darn bobble started! I thought I had picked up the stitches wrong and frogged it, and then realized I had it right after all. :roll:

[amyrobynne]

Am I the only one who thought that k3 tog was too annoying to do hundreds more times? My hands cramped almost immediately doing that. I found a variation that looks the same to me, thank goodness.

Anyone figured out what the deal is with the last stitch on a decrease row being the first stitch in the next row? I just couldn't figure out how to end with a decrease and do the bobble increase into one stitch.

[abigailvr]

I got my yarn today! I think I'm going to take this project on my vacation and see if I can get any of it done. Whee.

[Arwyn]

I'm still in need of the right size needles... :( Not that I can even decide between 40" addis and the denise set! :bang :bag

But I have the yarn! And it's pretty! :roll: :lol:

[mhurst]

Arwyn- this probably won't help much, but for my last project I used the magic loop with a pair of addis and a pair from my denise knits kit. I liked them both equally.

I really didn't find a huge advantage for one over the other in terms of magic loop. :roll:

I use both equally. It is nice to have the denise for multiple ongoing projects.

[mamapez]

Am I the only one who thought that k3 tog was too annoying to do hundreds more times? My hands cramped almost immediately doing that. I found a variation that looks the same to me, thank goodness.

Anyone figured out what the deal is with the last stitch on a decrease row being the first stitch in the next row? I just couldn't figure out how to end with a decrease and do the bobble increase into one stitch.

No you are most definitely NOT!!! :irked I do the purling and the increases with glee, but bitch and moan the whole way through the decrease rows. I would be VERY interested in hearing your variation! I think k3tog was invented to weed out the non-dedicated! :lol:

Regarding the last stitch = first stitch thing: I haven't gotten there to try things out, but from reading the pattern and doing a little math, it looks like the decrease round "steals" a stitch from the next row. If you have 78 stitches on the needle, the decrease round uses 79 stitches. I'm not sure what to do with this information:
a) Slide the stitch back over and use it for the next 3 rows of bobble pattern,
OR
b) Skip the first stitch in the next row?
I'm guessing (b) would screw up the bobbles...

Any experienced knitters like to comment? PULEEZE!?!

[dandelions2]

Just eavesdropping here :wave Sounds like you guys are having fun. :lurk :D

[amyrobynne]

Mamapez, I'm glad I'm not the only one scratching my head over this! Instead of knitting 3 together, I slipped 2 stitches as if to knit, knit the third stitch, then passed the 2 slipped stitches over. (Then passed the previous 2 stitches over--the ones slipped with yarn in front).

The problem with simply using the last stitch as the first in the next row is that sometimes that stitch is involved with a decrease in the first row, then a bobble increase in the second. With cotton and its lack of stretchiness, it seems like a lot of abuse for one stitch.

[mamapez]

Mamapez, I'm glad I'm not the only one scratching my head over this! Instead of knitting 3 together, I slipped 2 stitches as if to knit, knit the third stitch, then passed the 2 slipped stitches over. (Then passed the previous 2 stitches over--the ones slipped with yarn in front).

The problem with simply using the last stitch as the first in the next row is that sometimes that stitch is involved with a decrease in the first row, then a bobble increase in the second. With cotton and its lack of stretchiness, it seems like a lot of abuse for one stitch.

Wow! The knit and pass 2 over really do the same thing as the k3tog?!? Why on earth is this lady torturing us when it could be soooooo much easier?!? :irked Do you think I can start doing this in the middle of the hat and no one will tell the difference?

Hey, after doing all these k3tog, I say we abuse the crap out of the stitch (I have to admit I have been pretty freely verbally abusing the bobble decrease :mur ). :)

[amyrobynne]

My variation looked the same to me--try it and let me know how it goes.

[mamapez]

My variation looked the same to me--try it and let me know how it goes.


Yeah, I have pretty much decided I don't care if it looks any different. I refuse to do another k3tog. Call me a wimp, but I prefer my wrists to be carpal tunnel free! :)

And I bet that your variation is AWESOME and you will be my hero!!! :bow :bow :bow

[amyrobynne]

I only lasted for 3 bobbles using their way before my hands refused to continue. If mine even remotely matched, I would have kept doing it. Maybe using wool it wouldn't be so horrible, but cotton is just cruel.

[ravingcutie]

I think that variation is well-accepted. I read an article on knitting bobbles, where the lady suggested it as the 'pain free' bobble method...

[ravingcutie]

How are you doing the bind off (or Body Odor) at the crust? I'm assuming it's supposed to be stretchy... so it goes easily over their head! :?

[mamapez]

How are you doing the bind off (or Body Odor) at the crust? I'm assuming it's supposed to be stretchy... so it goes easily over their head! :?

Good question! Being a beginning knitter I just did a standard bind off (the only kind I learned in the book), and then :? wondered why botther with all the ribbing, only to have it be contained by the BO. *phew* :)

[ravingcutie]

I ended up doing a reg bind off, too. My ribbing was pretty loose. If I make again I think I'll do it backwards & increase instead of decrease - no bother about the bo then!

[pageta]

If I make again I think I'll do it backwards & increase instead of decrease - no bother about the bo then!

Now that's a good idea...

[mamapez]

Being new to knitting, I'm wondering how you increase without getting little holes?

[ravingcutie]

If you pull up an extra stitch from the bar behind & twist it, it's pretty invisible. I've heard make 1 is good too, but have never tried it.

[mamapez]

Okay, so instead of:
k5, k2tog
k4, k2tog
k3, k2tog
k2, k2tog
ribbing

I would do:
ribbing
k2, inc1
k3, inc1
k4, inc1
k5, inc1
Bind Off

? :scratchc:

[ravingcutie]

yep! Easier in my opinion. Especially w/ cotton!

[pageta]

Okay, so instead of:
k5, k2tog
k4, k2tog
k3, k2tog
k2, k2tog
ribbing

I would do:
ribbing
k2, inc1
k3, inc1
k4, inc1
k5, inc1
Bind Off

? :scratchc:

But being the perfectionist that I am, I would use M1L and M1R to do increases so they would be symmetrical. I don't have the pattern in front of me and have not attempted to do a translation yet, but based on how my rim came out, I would want to have both in there.

Wouldn't the k2tog have more bulk than the M1? That might affect the appearance of the final product. I'm saying it would look different, not that it would necessarily be better or worse.

[chiromama]

I made this Hat a few months back!!! It's so fun and so cute! :pink

[ravingcutie]

I agree that doing the increase rather than the decrease could make a slight difference, but the ruffle is the main thing that you want. I believe you could get it done satisfactorily both ways.

My bo is ok, but I think I'd prefer the more stable edge of a GTwist CO instead of the BO, but that's just personal preference. :wowza

[ravingcutie]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Just realized I posted that "my bo is ok" in the last post!
Yep folks, I shower daily! Deodorant, too...

[pamelamama]

:lurk So when will the pies be done?

[ravingcutie]

I just finished round 1 of 6 bobble rounds. (Not rows, rounds!) Then there are the decrease rows after that. I'm probably the slowest one here; don't get much time to knit!

How 'bout it gals? How's it going?

[mamapez]

:lurk So when will the pies be done?

Just one more bobble round to go and then I get to decrease!!! :) I took a break (before I knew about amyrobynne's alternate bobble decrease) to learn crochet and start the crochet-along, and would you believe I'm only 4 tiny rounds from the top (8 stitches in the round)? Man, that went fast! Plus, I was procrastinating getting back to the hat and those darn bobbles. :oops:

I'm looking forward to finishing the tart hat...because I think I may be making another! This time doing ALL the bobble decreases amyrobynne's way (thank you SO MUCH for that :bow :bow ) and doing the crust ribbing first (thanks ravingcutie :highfive), so it stays flexible. I'm doing the 6-9 months, but it fits like the newborn, because my bind-off constrained the ribbing so much. :( It's okay though, because I will now have a newborn AND a 6-9 month tart hat! :D

[ravingcutie]

If I do this pattern again, I may *gasp* crochet the bobbles! It eould look similiar & be faster!

[pamelamama]

mmm crust

:pie

[ravingcutie]

Pam, you got your hair cut! :lol:

[ravingcutie]

Yay! pIE! :pies :tart :pie

[blueskymama]

Hmm... I just got the yarn today. :oops: I looked at the pattern and it says I need 12" circulars? Would it work if I use my 16" circs? I would like to start asap instead of trying to shop for 12" circs.

[mamapez]

Hmm... I just got the yarn today. :oops: I looked at the pattern and it says I need 12" circulars? Would it work if I use my 16" circs? I would like to start asap instead of trying to shop for 12" circs.

You could always do the whole thing on the dpns... :shocked:

I am using the magic loop method.

Of course, if you are doing a size where the circumference is 16" or larger, you will be okay with 16" circulars. If I remember rightly, it was only the newborn size that was less than 16".

Look at me, giving advice like a veteran. :roll: :blah

[blueskymama]

I think I'll make the 6-9 month size (I still have to measure dd
I looked at the pattern to do the swatch and I'm stuck already. :bang How do you "p1, yo, p1, yo, p1" all into same stitch? I think I'm in big trouble. I should've read the pattern more thoroughly first!

[amyrobynne]

I made the newborn size on a combination of 16" circs and dpn's. I'd think that any size would eventually require the dpn's once you decreased enough, right?

As for p1, yo, p1, yo, p1--you just beat that poor stitch to death!

[mamapez]

I looked at the pattern to do the swatch and I'm stuck already. :bang How do you "p1, yo, p1, yo, p1" all into same stitch? I think I'm in big trouble. I should've read the pattern more thoroughly first!

You perl the stitch, but don't slide it off the needle (so initial stitch is still on the left needle and a new loop is on the right needle), then yo (new loop on right needle), then perl the stitch again, but don't slide it off the needle (so initial stitch is still on the left needle and a new loop is on the right needle), then yo (new loop on right needle), then perl and slide the stitch off the needle. So from one stitch, you now have 5. Voila! :)
I apologize if my terminology is a bit off....I'm a newbie here. :sigh:

[dandelions2]

If I do this pattern again, I may *gasp* crochet the bobbles! It eould look similiar & be faster!

Yeah, a popcorn stitch sounds much easier than what you guys are trying to do! lol

[blueskymama]

Thanks for all the help on the bobble stitch. I'll give that a try. You know what they say... I have a bad feeling about this!

[ravingcutie]

It's not that hard, but crochet would be faster! Ha! How's everyone doing?

We were gone all weekend (only 3 events this weekend, only 3 events last weekend too!) so I got nothing done, on the hat that is. Hope it's going better for you ladies!

[mamapez]

I got distracted by the crochet-along...all done with that! :D

Last night, I buckled down and worked on the tart hat, and I'm almost there! I have 2 more bobble rounds to go (3 more rows in pattern, decrease, 3 more rows in pattern) and then a bunch of decreases and finish off.

I love this decrease part, it is going so fast. :)

[amyrobynne]

I asked earlier, but haven't heard any responses--

Did you all attach the 'fruit' so that the crush was knit up, or purl up? The pic makes it look like purl up, but I couldn't figure out how to attach it that way.

[mamapez]

Okay, all done! Only a few rookie errors: :oops:

My bind off constrains the ribbing so my 6-9 month hat will only fit a newborn. :irked

I completely missed an entire bobble. Was doing a bobble decrease row and came upon three perl stitches instead of the bobble increase. oops! :crud:

One of the stitches in my ribbing is twisted. D'oh!

Other than that the hat came out cute. Other people didn't even notice the mistakes. :)

I still need to take pics of the crochet-along project, so will get pics of both "-alongs" tonight. :pink

[mamapez]

I asked earlier, but haven't heard any responses--

Did you all attach the 'fruit' so that the crush was knit up, or purl up? The pic makes it look like purl up, but I couldn't figure out how to attach it that way.

I don't know what a crush is, but if it is what I did to the pick up stitches, I purled them...I think...I actually don't remember.

Fat lot of help I am. :roll:

[mamapez]

Oh and btw, this project only took ONE ball of each color. Not even one ball. So now I actually have enough to make another...dare I do it and make the crust backwards (ribbing up)? Maybe it will actually fit the intended recipient.

Also, BTW the alternate to k3tog ROCKS!!! It is the ONLY reason I finished the project. :)

[amyrobynne]

Crust! Not crush. Egads, the baby really has stolen my brain. Sorry...

Is the crust purl side up, or knit side up?

[blueskymama]

Hmm... I have another question here. What is a bobble round? How is it different from the bobble pattern?

I'm about to start the bobble pattern and all the talk about decreases really confuse me too. Please help! :oops:

[mamapez]

Crust! Not crush. Egads, the baby really has stolen my brain. Sorry...

Is the crust purl side up, or knit side up?

:lol: Sorry for the misunderstanding...I thought crush was a knitting term I hadn't learned yet. :lol:

It is purl side up so the crust comes out toward you. I initially picked up the stitches correctly, got to the end and everything looked upside down. I thought, :crud: I did it wrong and frogged it. Only to realize that I HAD done it right after all. :roll:

[mamapez]

Hmm... I have another question here. What is a bobble round? How is it different from the bobble pattern?

I'm about to start the bobble pattern and all the talk about decreases really confuse me too. Please help! :oops:

This threw me for a loop at first too. There are decreases thrown about every which way. :lol:

Okay, a bobble round is half a bobble pattern. It consists of a perl round, a bobble increase (think bottom half of bobble), a perl round, and a bobble decrease (think top half of bobble).

There are two bobble rounds to a bobble pattern, so that the bobbles are staggered.

There are also decrease 3 rounds to get to the top of the hat.

Does that make sense? It didn't to me until I had run through the pattern once. :roll:

[blueskymama]

Thanks mamapez! :bow I just finished my 2nd round of bobble. It took me 1/2 hour to do that bbl dec! Yikes!! So this should keep me busy for a while.

[ravingcutie]

I've been looking@ my yarn thinking, there's no way it's gonna take 2 balls for the filling. I'm not even 1/2 way through the first one & am more than 1/2 way through the filling!

[mamapez]

Mamapez, I'm glad I'm not the only one scratching my head over this! Instead of knitting 3 together, I slipped 2 stitches as if to knit, knit the third stitch, then passed the 2 slipped stitches over. (Then passed the previous 2 stitches over--the ones slipped with yarn in front).

The problem with simply using the last stitch as the first in the next row is that sometimes that stitch is involved with a decrease in the first row, then a bobble increase in the second. With cotton and its lack of stretchiness, it seems like a lot of abuse for one stitch.

Oops! I ended up not using the last stitch as the first in the next row. :oops: I forgot about that and the hat still came out fine.

[mamapez]

Thanks mamapez! :bow I just finished my 2nd round of bobble. It took me 1/2 hour to do that bbl dec! Yikes!! So this should keep me busy for a while.

Are you using amyrobynne's k3tog alternative? That goes way faster. :pink The details are part of the post I quoted in the post above.
8)

[mamapez]

Okay, dh came home with the camera today, so I posted my knit-along here:

http://woolywonder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=598

I used Patton Grace in natural and cardinal.

[amyrobynne]

Okay, how did you gals pick up the stitches when attaching the fruit so that they aren't visible from underneath? I ended up attaching mine knit-up because the stitches showed when I did it the other way.

I'm just going to start over if I ever finish the bag I'm also working on...

[mamapez]

How did you get the crust to stick out picking up stitches with the knit side up?

[ravingcutie]

Wondering that myself - maybe the crust got turned inside out? I'm kind of a hands on person - having trouble envisioning.

[amyrobynne]

My hat looks so goofy that I don't want to post a photo :oops:

When you picked up the stitches, were you picking them up through purl or knit stitches?

[ravingcutie]

Ok, I hope this helps.

On the knit side (which actually faces up, but it doesn't show because of the curl) there is a single ridge of purled stitches. You pick up on that purl ridge. After looking @ my hat, I realized that the knit part is actually facing up, but you don't see it because of the curliness of the brim.

Will try to post pics after we're done naking.

[amyrobynne]

aha, that's what I did, Katie! Picking up stitches along the purl ridge made sense to me and I couldn't find a way to pick up knit stitches. I'm so glad to hear I'm not completely screwed up :)

[amyrobynne]

I'm throwing in the towel. :mur

I did a second crust to see if I could get it a little smaller (I couldn't quite get myself to rip out the berry filling of my first, even though that's the part I really needed to redo). Well, this crust was BIGGER, and I accidentally knit most of a ribbing row instead of k1p1. I didn't discover this until after I'd cast off. I decided that was a sign I should count my losses, hide my tart beret somewhere, and forget about it all. I hate quitting in the middle! If I'm going to leave a project hanging, it should be because I'm too lazy to finish, not because I'm admitting that the project has gotten the best of me.

I went back and determined that my gauge was pretty far off. I hadn't made a gauge swatch because the size wasn't picky, but the height/width ratio of the hat just doesn't work if it's too wide. Argh, my fingers cramped I was trying to tighten my stitches! I don't have a sz 4 circ, and I refuse to spend any more money on this project.

I hope my HolySheep! yarn arrives soon so I can bury my frustration and make a ribby wrap.

:goodgrief

[mamapez]

I'm throwing in the towel. :mur

I did a second crust to see if I could get it a little smaller (I couldn't quite get myself to rip out the berry filling of my first, even though that's the part I really needed to redo). Well, this crust was BIGGER, and I accidentally knit most of a ribbing row instead of k1p1. I didn't discover this until after I'd cast off. I decided that was a sign I should count my losses, hide my tart beret somewhere, and forget about it all. I hate quitting in the middle! If I'm going to leave a project hanging, it should be because I'm too lazy to finish, not because I'm admitting that the project has gotten the best of me.

I went back and determined that my gauge was pretty far off. I hadn't made a gauge swatch because the size wasn't picky, but the height/width ratio of the hat just doesn't work if it's too wide. Argh, my fingers cramped I was trying to tighten my stitches! I don't have a sz 4 circ, and I refuse to spend any more money on this project.

I hope my HolySheep! yarn arrives soon so I can bury my frustration and make a ribby wrap.

:goodgrief

amyrobynne :hug
I'm sorry to hear this. I know that I threw the project aside in disgust several times, and had to drag myself back to it to finish. It came out a lot smaller than it was supposed to (the opposite problem you have, it sounds like).

I have a Susan Bates 4" circ (16") and an Addi Turbo 4" circ (47") that you are more than welcome to borrow. The Addi Turbo would require the magic loop method (that's how I did the whole hat).

Please let me know, I would love to see you succeed. :bighug If it helps, I have leftover yarn from the project as well, that I can send you.

[pamelamama]

So what happened with the :tart? Was this project a bust? :pezfrog

[ravingcutie]

I'm still decreasing, but so far so good!

[amyrobynne]

I've given up, but that's because I'm gauge-challenged and am tired of cramped fingers.

[mamapez]

Mine is at: http://woolywonder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=598

I had some rookie errors, but it still looks okay. Of course, only a newborn can wear it (it was supposed to be a 6-9 months hat). :roll:

[pamelamama]

amy, i dont know how I missed that post before, but all the links are dead now. :byebye

[mamapez]

Is that better? I created a folder to put all my pics in, and forgot to fix my links. :tsk I should know better. :tsk :tsk

[pamelamama]

Oh, I DID see those!~ very cute!!

[blueskymama]

Okay, I'm done. Thanks to everyone's help especially mamapez! The hat is way too big for ddhttp://www.blueskymama.com/crafts.htm
BTW, I can't quite get the filling to stand up. Any ideas?

[dandelions2]

That babe is too cute! :wowza

[mamapez]

Oh, how cute!!! And the hat looks great, too!

I stuffed the filling with a playsilk to get it to stand up. The only thing I can think to do is starch it :yikes or stuff it.