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slisen.blogspot.com
A fellow machine
knitter Margaret, AKA as ‘HybridSJ’on Ravelry, posted a very interesting
finishing for crowns of hats. It
involves dividing the hat body into 4ths, knitting triangles from each 4th
section and joining together with SAYG (Seam As Ya Go). It makes a flat, form fitting crown that
lends itself nicely to beanies, helmet liners, chemo caps, or any hat crown where gathering isn’t
always the best finishing technique. And it goes
much faster than decreasing across the row and moving stitches in. Since she doesn't maintain a blog, she gave me permission to post it on mine so it could have more visibility.
So here’s Margaret’s
post. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/HybridSJ/quarter-crown And I’ll add my own take on it
afterward.
Margaret’s Notes:
The quarter crown can be done at the end of a machine knit hat without
removing from the machine, or you can take off on waste yarn, or even rehang
stitches from an in the round hand knit pattern.
Last row of the body pattern should be divisible by four, so reduce or
increase accordingly. For example, if you have 86 stitches, decrease two
stitches evenly on the last row. If you have 87, you could decrease to 84 or
increase to 88. I prefer to decrease.
If knitting straight on from the body of the machine, put 3/4 needles in hold. In the case
of 84 stitches, that’s 63 in hold, 21 in work.
Decrease one stitch fully fashioned each end. I use the 2 x 1 tool to move
2 stitches over one needle each end. Knit that row and the next, i.e. two rows.
Repeat these two rows until 3 stitches are left. Thread yarn through
stitches and take off.
Bring next 21 (or quarter) stitches into work. Knit decrease row. Hang
stitch from nearest end of first quarter on end needle opposite carriage.
Repeat these two rows until 3 stitches are left. Thread yarn through
stitches and take off.
Repeat twice more. Sew seam or follow instructions for knitting in the
round.
Finishing from in the round
Hang quarter stitches and continue knitting as above for three quarters.
On last quarter, pick up stitches as before PLUS unworked stitches from
first quarter. I am still experimenting with the best time to pick up the first
quarter end stitches but picking up on the first or third row works with some
“fudging”.
Or you can do a mattress stitch seam to finish. (only you will notice the
slight difference and it is easier)
I decided to try using a 1 prong tool decrease on the crown instead of a 2
prong tool. It worked well and gives a bit different look. Both are totally acceptable, it’s just another
option.
I worked the hat flat, not
in the round, and used a Bickford seam to sew up the last triangles and the
seam. It is flat, virtually invisible and
doesn’t leave the inside bulk that mattress stitching does.
So, thank you very
much, Margaret. It’s a keeper technique.