Easy Peasy Beanie Pattern

Materials
120 yard of a worsted weight yarn
16" US 8 circular needles
4 US 8 DPNS
Stitch Marker
Tapestry needle

Skills
K2tog
Double Pointed needles
Circular needles
2x2 rib

Gauge
About 10 sts x 13 rows = 2" x 2"

Size
One size, buy you can alter the size of the hat with the wight of the yarn and the size of the needle you use.  This basic hats fits both me and my Husband.  

Hat
Cast on 80 Stitch
place marker and being careful not to twist the cast on edge join.
Work in 2x2 rib for about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. 
Swtich to stockinette stitch and knit untill the hat mearures about 6 to 6 1/2 inches. 
Now it is time to close up the hat's top.

Crown Decreases
R1: K8, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R2: Knit all Stitches
R3: K7, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R4: Knit all Stitches
R5: K6, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R6: Knit all Stitches
R7: K5, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R8: Knit all stitches (switch to DPNS, Equally distribute the stitches on to three needles)
R9: K4, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R10: K3, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R11: K2, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R12: K1, K2tog, repeat this to marker
R13: k2tog, repeat this to marker (5 stitches remaining)

Break the yarn and with a tapestry needle pull the yarn through the remaining 5 stitch and pull closed
Weave in the ends and voila! A warm winter hat.

Technique Tuesday: Tips for Knitting in the Round

I love knitting things in the round.  Mostly because this mean no seaming which is a great reason to knit in the round.  Although I didn't always start out loving circular knitting.  This was because I am a self taught knitter I had no wise experienced knitter who could let me in on tricks and helpful hints.  Here are some of my tips for knitting in the round.

1. Always make sure your circular needle/dpns are the right circumference for what you plan on knitting.  I thought that a 24" circular was the perfect needle size for my first hat in the round so I filled it with as many stitches as it would hold, needles to say my hat came out huge, which was more of a gauge problem.  So I then cast on the appropriate amount of stitches and there were too few to make it around the needle and I was pulling and stretching my stitches which made it hard to knit anything.

For a hat a 16" circular with do you good for baby hats all the way up to large adult size hat.  With item that are smaller than 16" in circumference think about useing DPNS, magic loop, or two circular needles.  Items such as sweaters you want to think about the smallest part of the sweater, I like to start on a 16" and then move up to a 24" or 26" when I need too.  Depending on th esize of the sweater you may want to use a 36" circular. 

2. Always use a stitch marker to mark the beginning and end of a round.  This way you are never confused as to were you are to start and end which comes in handy if you are using a stitch pattern or are increasing or decreasing in a pattern.

2.2.  Never stop at the end/beginning of a round.  Your stitch marker will fall off your needle.  Always try to stop with one stitch after or before your stitch marker.

3.  Be careful not to twist your stitches.  I read this all the time in patterns.  Before you join your work take the time to make sure your cast on edge isn't twisted around your needle.  An appropriate length needle is helpful, but you just have to suck it up and make sure that the cast on is oriented the same way before you place your maker and join your work.

4. Use a Long tail cast on.  I know it's a pain when you miss judge the amount of yarn you need in your dead end, but this cast on tends to be more elastic and creates less of a jog where you join. 

5. To help with the jog situation where you join your work cross your last and first stitch over and place your maker between them.  This way your first stitch is now your last stitch and your last stitch is now your first stitch.  This makes a tighter neater join.

These are all of my tips are there any more that others use?