Circular knitting query

[piemashandliquer]

I am doing a hat on circular needles, not used them before. Pattern is 1x1rib for 4 rows of 99 sts. It says to cast on and do the first 3rows on straights then 4th etc onto circs. The first few rows look fine, ribbed as pattern, but beyond this I end up with moss stitch from the point where I transfer to circs, despite continuing the rib pattern and checking the ribbing is facing inwards so not twisted. I've started over 4 times, and I can't work out what I'm doing wrong. I have the right number of sts and am starting and ending with the appropriate k or p.

Can anyone help please?

TIA

[Dutchoma]

I you have 99 stitches (an odd number) you must make sure that you carry on knit stitches over knit and purl over purl. Does the pattern tell you to knit 2 stitches together when you make the join so you end up with an even number of stitches? Rib on an odd number of stitches will always end up as moss stitch. Best of luck.

[FannyBazaar]

Are you turning the needles at the end of the row? With a circular needle you just keep going round and round. I think you can get confused if you put the work down and it doesn't have a clear knit/purl side as to which way you are working. How about trying a practice few rounds of stocking stitch on your circular needle?

[tribpot]

It sounds like the pattern is a bit confusing. If you are working flat, you are looking first at one side of the work and then the other, so the instructions will tell you to knit stitch 1 on the right side, but purl it on the wrong side, which will lead to one knit stitch above another as you look at it from the right side.

But when you're working in the round, you're always working on the right side of the work, so you should be repeating the instruction for a right side row over and over, not working anything that's written for the wrong side. That means every row should be worked identically to produce ribbing.

[piemashandliquer]

Thanks all for your speedy responses, I am not turning the work, just going round and round. I might try just casting straight onto the circs. I need to do about 4 cm of ribbing then it's stockinette till the decreases. With an odd number of stitches will I still end up with moss?

[tribpot]

Not if you knit the knits and purl the purls. But with an odd number of stitches you will end up with two knits together, one at the start of the round and one at the end. You could cast on 98 and then increase an extra stitch when you get into the stockinette bit.

Assuming you do cast on 98, you just need to start each round with a knit stitch.

[missnevermind]

You need an even number of stitches for robbing on circulars.

TBH. I am confused about the casting on and first few on straights. Are the first 3 rows not joined? And then you join in the 4th.
Can you link to the patern.

[RiaOverTheRainbow]

I'd cast 98 stitches onto the circular needles. The pattern says 99 because when you sew up you effectively lose half a stitch from each end, but if you can work in the round from the beginning you don't need the extra stitch.

[Dutchoma]

Or just work the last stitch together with the first stitch when you join

[tribpot]

.

I wondered about the rows that are straight - do the first few rows fold over or under to make a double-thickness brim? The other reason for doing it that way might be to make it easier to join in the round without the stitches getting twisted. Then you sew them up afterwards.

[piemashandliquer]

Thanks All for your suggestions. It's a beginner pattern in Knitty Gritty 2. It is as you say Tribot, cast on straights then transfer to circs to lessen the risk of twisting. Here's what it says:

Using straight 4mm needles cast on 99sts
Row1 -k1, p1 rib to end (start and finish row with a knit st)
Row2 - p1, k1 rib to end ( start and finish row with a purl st)
Row 3, as row 1
Starting and ending with a purl st, 1x1 rib sts onto a circular needle
Place marker and join in the round taking care not to twist. When joining in the round the first st will be a purl st.
Note that the st either side of the marker will be a purl st. This means you have 2 purls next to each other on the rib. Don't worry this will not stand out on the rib, and will make it much easier to follow the rest of thepattern
After the ribbed border. When you have a total of 4cm rib, knit every row to create stocking st, and follow the decreases as main pattern.

[tribpot]

Okay. Not sure why it thinks having two purl stitches together will make it easier to follow the rest of the pattern (other than as a visual clue when you're at the start/end of the round, which you can use a stitch marker to do in any case)

but the pattern is wildly misleading as written, and will certainly lead to moss stitch if knitted in the round as per the straight instructions. You need to be following the row 2 instructions once you're working in the round, ignoring row 1.

[piemashandliquer]

Thanks Tribot, I've just started again from scratch and that's just what I was going to try.

[piemashandliquer]

So Tribot, can I just check, I start the 4th row as a p1,k1 onto the circs and just carry on like this ie each row p1,k1 until I have 4cm?

[tribpot]

Yes, that's right, as long as you make sure you have the right side facing out when you transfer to the circular. Assuming you will knit row 4 with a straight needle in your left hand, and the circular in the right, you will just knit it as purl 1 knit 1, and then not actually join in the round until you start row 5.

The main way to be certain, though, is to look at the stitch you are knitting into and deciding whether it's a knit stitch or a purl stitch. A knit stitch will be flat and v-shaped, a purl stitch will have a bump just under the needle.

You can also put a stitch marker at the start of row 1, so you know which is the right side - this is the side that should be facing outwards when you're working in the round.

[piemashandliquer]

Thanks Tribot all going well now!