I need a knitting pattern for a bobble hat

[Millymollymandy]

Hi MMM try here http://www.ravelry.com/

It won't let me join - I keep entering my details (after having followed the instructions/link it sent me for joining) and the same old screen keeps coming back where I have to keep entering my username and password again after I press enter. Doesn't do anything!

[Millymollymandy]

I got on Ravelry finally but where are the free patterns? You can look at details of a pattern but there are no knitting instructions anywhere! Also it's all American and a language I don't understand where knitting is concerned, and I'm not likely to find those wools on UK sites to order.

[Bonniegirl]

aye it's a bit of a bugger of a site, put in search for 'Free' hat patterns and see how you go.

I'm sure if there isn't a conversion chart on there google will, and you should be able to find similar yarns I would have thought.

They have a worldwide membership and I know many who think it's wonderful, but I find it very hard to navigate, but if you find the right pattern it might be worth persevering.

[red]

you can check your guage as per the pattern to see if the needles are right or not

I don't really know how to do this and I don't understand how to knit something if you don't have the right wool for the pattern. It's completely doing my head in as I can either find wool that I like but not a pattern or I find a pattern I like (rare these days with all these horrible 'trendy' things!) but the wool that goes with it is naff.

tbh i never to the gauge - i just use the right size yarn - DK in this case and the needles they say and mostly it works out

[snapdragon]

the non 'prescribed' way to do it
get a pair of needles and the wool you want to use. Cast on about 20 stitches, knit 10 rows - does it look right? if it looks loose and lacy try smaller needles, and knit another few rows, is that better?
if it looks tight and too close try larger diameter needles, knit another couple of rows - is that better? still not quite? try a larger yet
generally I would use 5mm for dk (using 4.5 or 4 for the rib)
3.5mm or 4mm for worsted, 4 ply or baby yarn
4.5 for babyquick
6 to 8 for chunky
5.5 to 6 for Aran
remembering it's easier to change to a half milimetre larger or smaller needle (or indeed hook) than it is to adjust your knitting style to suit the specified needle for the pattern

does that make any sense??

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks Snapdragon. I didn't know if you should knit a larger area then check the tension for the specified size, which is what I have done with the jumper I already knitted - only did it out of interest. I wondered whether if you knit the actual stitches stated for the tension square then it might be smaller or bigger because of the loose stitches you tend to get on the end of rows.

Anyway I am scared to try using a different yarn for another pattern because even if the tension squares and needles etc are exact for each yarn, my mum did this and found she'd knitted something for a giant and had to undo it.

I've gone through so many websites and patterns this morning that my eyes are really strained.

I so wish I had a John Lewis here - lots of patterns with decent photos (not tiny blurred internet things) and lots of choice, plus people to ask who know what they are talking about!

[Millymollymandy]

Can you or someone please explain the different yarn types, I don't have a clue what worsted or 2 ply or 8 ply or anything like that means. What is double knit as I think I've seen that called 8 ply? I just know that the wool I have is called DK and everything I'm knitting with DK (currently 3 ) uses 4mm needles!

[snapdragon]

spinners use wraps per inch (i just wrap it round a ruler)

Measuring and universally communicating a yarn's thickness
WPI is a yarn thickness measurement that is familiar to spinners, but can be beneficial to non-spinners as well. WPI is an acronym for Wraps Per Inch.
This type of measurement provides a more universal way of describing the characteristics of a yarn's thickness, than sometimes happens with the confusing terms for worsted, sport, 8-ply, jumper, etc.
A simple way to measure WPI is the following –

Using an unsharpened pencil or small dowel, make 2 marks an inch apart. Also, cut a small notch in one end.
Catch the yarn to be measured in the notch, then wind the yarn onto the pencil/dowel between the 2 marks. I turn the pencil, rather than circling the yarn around the pencil, so as not to introduce more or less twist in the yarn. Wind so that the yarn strands just barely touch.
Count the number of strands between the 2 marks. This is your WPI.
FINE: Yarns in this category generally measure 16 WPI* or more, and include types referred to as lace, baby, fingering, sock, 2-ply Shetland, jumper weight, and UK 2-ply, 3-ply, and 4-ply.

MEDIUM: Yarns in this category generally measure 13 - 15 WPI*, and include types referred to as sport, DK (double knitting), 3-ply Shetland, and UK 5-ply, 6-ply and 8-ply.

HEAVY: Yarns in this category generally measure 10 - 12 WPI*, and include types referred to as knitting worsted, Aran, UK 10-ply and 12-ply.

BULKY: Yarns in this category generally measure fewer than 10 WPI*, and include types referred to as bulky and super-bulky or chunky.

and somewhere I have a list of the needles for each ---> snappy goes searching
edit to add worsted is USA term generally 4 ply sock yarn, in spinning it's a smoother less wooly yarn

[Millymollymandy]

I found my stitch holders - in the bag with the nearly finished jumper from 15 plus years ago!

After spending yesterday afternoon picking up and knitting the neck band for said jumper I've decided to unravel the whole thing and just use the wool for something else!!! No I'm not completely mad because on reflection although I'm not into 'fashion' this pattern was very 1980s - short and very baggy and my husband looked at the pattern of a couple with big hair wearing these jumpers with white trousers and declared it "Very Wham" - he's soooooo right this jumper is just what George Michael used to wear with his white trousers!

Anyway it was a bit tight on the waistband.