Tips and Techniques for Part 1 of the 2-Needle Preemie Hat

I hope you are enjoying the tiny 2-Needle Preemie Hat so far. Before proceeding to Part 2, I want to point out some tips and techniques related to Part 1.

Cast on loosely

I want to re-emphasize the importance of casting on loosely enough as discussed in Pointers and Tips about Elasticity. This allows the brim of the hat to stretch comfortably.

Knitted Lace

Congratulate yourself —  you are making what some people would call “real lace”; i.e. there are lace patterning yarn over’s on every row. If you missed it last year, you can read more about Lace Knitting vs. Knitted Lace.

Starting the preemie hat: columns of herringbone lace alternate with ribbing

The structure of the lace pattern, called herringbone, is an important part of the secret for turning our flat piece of fabric into a circular hat without an apparent seam.

Yarn Over between Knit-type Stitches vs. Purl-type Stitches

The purpose of a yarn over is to create an extra loop on the needle. The most common type (or at least the one you probably first learned) is a yarn over between 2 knit stitches. So I expect you are doing ok with that. But sometimes knitters trip up when a yarn over is between 2 purl stitches such as in this hat. I want to share a sure-fire way to get comfortable with that.

Although you only encounter the k-yo-k and p-yo-p sequences in this preemie hat pattern, you can apply the following Step-by-Step for doing a yarn over between any 2 stitches. Learn this simple 3-step checklist now and you will never be at a loss for how to do a yarn over in the future:

1. After completing your stitch, bring yarn to FRONT of work between needle tips IF it isn’t already there. (i.e. if you’ve just completed a purl-type stitch, the yarn is already in front; but if you’ve just completed a knit-type stitch, then you need to bring the yarn to front of work between needles)

2. Bring yarn OVER right-hand needle from FRONT to BACK.

3. Bring yarn into position to make the next stitch (i.e. if your next stitch is a knit-type, your yarn is already in position; but if your next stitch is a purl-type, then bring your yarn to front of work between the needle tips just as though you were switching your yarn between k1-p1 ribbing)

Another way to think of a yarn over is that it starts like a purl stitch (i.e. you need to get your yarn to the front of the work if it isn’t already there), and ends like a knit stitch (i.e. in back of the work).

Hope this helps to de-mystify the yarn over for you.

Elastic Ribbing

Columns of herringbone lace alternate with ribbing that provides elasticity to fabric. When you first begin the hat, the contraction of the ribbing will not be immediately apparent. It is only after working at least a couple of inches that you’ll really start to see the effect.

Crease Line

The Turn-back Row between Brim and Main Body of Hat will form a tidy bottom edge for the hat when the brim is turned up. The other advantage of this crease line is to switch the orientation of the RS and WS rows, so that when the brim is turned up, the RS’s of the fabric are showing on both the brim and the main body of the hat.

Continuing the preemie hat after the turn-back row has been made

After you complete the turn-back row, you will see the WS of the brim when you are working the RS of the Main Body of the Hat, and vice versa.

2-stitch Twisted Selvedges

The way the 2 stitches at each edge of the row is another important part of the secret for turning our flat piece of fabric into a circular hat without any apparent seam. I’ll expand on how and why in a separate post.

Meantime, let’s continue knitting our little preemie hats for this month’s knit-along. Part 2 pattern instructions for Seemingly Seamless 2-Needle Preemie Hat is available now for members during February 2013.