I worked on my Aran baby hat the last two nights. I’d rewritten it for knitting in the round on double-pointed needles. Didn’t have much time to concentrate on it, though. Omar was in and out of my knitting basket and kept spreading double-pointed needles of various sizes all over the place, and was generally climbing all over me while I was trying to knit. So I got into my re-written pattern about three rows before I realized I’d made a basic mistake when I rewrote it for knitting in the round. I forgot to reverse the order of the two patterns I was combining on the even rows. So I had to rip the whole thing out and start over.
I also decided it would be easier if I just write out the two patterns separately but on the same line, instead of combining them all into one long line of abbreviations. So I rewrote it today, and just added a | between the two different patterns. Now I’m ready to give this revised pattern a try. Almost the same abbreviations for the previous knitting flat pattern that I posted:
C2B (K1, P1) – Cable 2 stitches, to back (slip 1 stitch to cable needle and leave at back. K1, and then P1 stitch off the cable needle.)
C4B (K2, K2) – Cable 4 stitches, to back (slip 2 stitches to cable needle and leave at back. K2, and the K2 from cable needle.)
C2F (P1, K1) – Cable 2 stitches, to front (slip 1 stitch to cable needle and leave at front. K1 and then P1 stitch off the cable needle.)
YFWD – Yarn forward
YBK – Yarn back
SL1 – Slip 1 stitch purl-wise
This isn’t really the whole hat pattern yet. I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to shape the crown. But here is the pattern rewritten for working in the round on double-pointed needles:
A multiple of 31 stitches. For knitting in the round. – Twisted Rope Cable (14 stitches) | Tree of Life (17 stitches)
Row 1: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P6, C2B (K1, P1) , K1, C2F (P1, K1) (P1, K1), P6
Row 2: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P6, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P1, K1, P1, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P6
Row 3: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P5, C2B (K1, P1) , P1, K1, P1, C2F (P1, K1) , P5
Row 4: P2, K1, P2, C4B (K2, K2) , P2, K1, P2, | P5, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P2, K1, P2, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P5
Row 5: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P4, C2B (K1, P1) , P2, K1, P2, C2F (P1, K1) , P4
Row 6: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P4, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P3, K1, P3, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P4
Row 7: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P3, C2B (K1, P1) , P3, K1, P3, C2F (P1, K1) , P3
Row 8: P2, K1, P2, C4B (K2, K2) , P2, K1, P2, | P3, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P4, K1, P4, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P3
Row 9: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P2, C2B (K1, P1) , P4, K1, P4, C2F (P1, K1) , P2
Row 10: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P2, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P5, K1, P5, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P2
Row 11: P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, | P1, C2B (K1, P1) , P5, K1, P5, C2F (P1, K1) , P1
Row 12: P2, K1, P2, C4B (K2, K2) , P2, K1, P2, | P1, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P6, K1, P6, YBK, SL1, YFWD, P1
I worked a few rows of K1, P1 ribbing for the bottom of the hat. I also taught myself a new cast-on method, instead of using the usual long-tail cast-on that I do. I learned the knitted cast-on from the Readers Digest Complete Guide to Needlework. It is supposed to be good for a ribbed edge. It looks more like a twist than a braid along the edge. It was a little slower to do than the long-tail cast-on, at least for me. I am kind of a slow knitter, and doubly slow when I’m trying something new.
Now that I’ve been working on this pattern a while I think I know why I haven’t seen any patterns for knitting Aran in the round. You’ve already got 5 dpn’s to fiddle with, and throwing in that cable needle is just one more! I’ve got sticks everywhere! And it doesn’t help that I’m knitting this on itty bitty size 2 needles, I suppose.
