Knit and crochet hat questions

[catwoman]

Hi.i was wondering if a person really has to do these things in knitting or crocheting  a hat. the first is does a person have to by something called negative ease like adding 2 inches extra?can a person not do that and still make a hat?
The last one is does a person have to do measure the length of a chain plus 2 rows and make sure it equals the head circumference?
What does equals mean?
What do you guys think?does a person have to know or do these things for making a hat?

[Granny Square]

Hello again!  IMO it's a matter of taste, and maybe hairdo or lack thereof, and possibly weather as far as the negative ease.  By the way, zero ease =  your body exactly, so positive ease is loose and negative is tight and has to stretch.

My own preference will probably be different than someone living in a colder, windier place than I do, and with a shorter hairstyle.  I'm in a mild winter climate and don't like my bangs smashed against my forehead so I like my hats to pretty much fit my head, with a little flare at the brim to keep the Northwest US misty rain off my glasses.  I imagine someone who has to stand outside at a bus stop in Minnesota in a blizzard occasionally would want something snugger.  Someone with long curly hair might want them looser than I do.  Also, the amount of negative ease needed to keep a hat on would depend on the yarn weight and stitch pattern used.  2 inches too small with a stiff yarn and not-stretchy stitch that doesn't stretch 2 inches just plain wouldn't fit.

Most (not all) crocheted hats start at the top of the head and work down by starting with a flat circle the circumference you want the hat to be, and working straight to the brim. BUT if you have a crochet pattern that starts bottom up, it's a better idea to do a gauge swatch and figure out how big your stitches are rather than just make a chain and measure that way.  Reason is, when you put the chain around your head like a measuring tape, it's going to stretch, and when you work stitches into a chain it will tighten up a little.

To make a swatch, make a chain at  least 5" long and work a few rows; maybe 3 or 4, because you need to measure the width not so much the height.  Now measure the number of stitches in the interior 4"--the reason for ignoring the edge stitches is that they can be wonkey and you don't want them in your calculations.  When you are counting your stitches, and you have a partial stitch, count it as half a stitch.  Example, I'm going to make up an odd number, let's say you have 17.5 stitches in that interior 4" of your swatch.  4 inches divided by 17.5 is 0.228 stitches per inch, I'll round that to 0.23--this is the measurement of 1 stitch.  Say the hat circumference I want is 22"...  that would be 95.65 stitches (22 inches divided by 0.23 inch).  For me, who likes hats a tad loose, I'd round up to 96 maybe; if you want a bit of negative ease, you can round down to the number of stitches 'tighter' you want the hat to be (about 4 stitches to the inch in my made up example).  So that's the number of stitches; you'd have to add the turning chain to that.

[catwoman]

Hi Grannysquare.Thanks for the help.So a person doesn't have to do it?  would it slip around when a person turns their head?Will it still fit ?

I would hope that would still fit and not slip around right?

[Granny Square]

I've never had my hats slip around or blow away in a breeze, but I've never worn them in a huge windstorm.  I try to make them as close to my head size as possible -- they aren't loose.  I have a 'master hat' that I made myself ages ago that I like fit of in both directions, and I use that as my template to measure and tweak subsequent hats.

Like I said, it's personal preference.  And the stitch pattern, yarn weight and crafter's tension would be a part of it.  The hats I've made just aren't stretchy enough to make them 2" too small on purpose and still be comfortable, but I've mostly used worsted weight acrylic; perhaps other yarn weights, fibers, stitch patterns than what I've tried might work better with negative ease.

edited to add - Most of the hats I've made have been crochet; the knit ones do stretch a bit more but I still make them to fit close to exactly, not stretch to fit (and still use the crochet hat for a template).

 

 

[USpolishgirl]

If  I can add my few words here..

Making hats is little tricky to make them fit just right. It depends on that design,  what kind of stitch is used & yarn. Some stitches are more "stretchable" than others. Just keep on trying that hat as you are making that. The best way to do that is if you have a styrofoam head or other form to try that on and see how that is going.. ?. Sometimes you will need to rip and fix whatever needs to be fixed/changed. 

I know I am not being of much help here. But, that is how it is. I made many hats in my "crochet life"

Krys

 

[Granny Square]

Good idea on the styrofoam head, but be sure to measure it and compare to your head.  I have one, I don't know if they come in sizes but mine is smaller than my head; I bought it as a wig form long ago (I suppose smaller is better for that, you want to keep the shape but not stretch a wig). I use it to photograph hats I've made, but wouldn't be great for sizing purposes (for me).  I have to push the hats further back on her than I'd wear them, if I put them in a normal position her eyes are covered