Expert: Frances Rhea - 4/30/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have a hat pattern that has cables in it (from a chart) and you knit in the
round.  I think that when I knit in the round, I read the chart from right to left
always?  My work is inside out and when I turn the work right side out, my
cables are on the wrong side.  The cables are are on the right or outside of
the hat to do not look right .  The cables that are on the wrong side or the
inside look right.  Can you tell me what I am doing wrong?  I also read that
when you work on cables in the round you never purl.  Is that correct?  This
pattern calls for purling.  Thanks for your help.

ANSWER: Altering a regular pattern to make with circular needles can be difficult.

Do you turn your work to the other side like in regular knitting after each round? Although you can use circular needles like regular needles, normally you would only work with the right side of the project joining each round of knitting as you work each row.

When working on the right side only you might still purl, but it is only if the pattern has purl stitches that show on the right side. Any purl stitches that would normally be worked from the wrong side are knit stitches on the right side.

Reading the pattern from right to left is correct as long as you do not turn your rows.

Let me know if this has not helped.

Francie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Francie,
Another question.  I knit continental style and no matter how hard I try, my
knitting (my hat) is inside out.  I don't think it matters if hat is inside out, but
does this affect doing the cables that are in the pattern?
If you knit continental, does the project you are working on - always go
inside out?

Thanks,

Marsha

Answer
It has nothing to do with your style of knitting, it has to do with the pattern and the first row.

Generally a cable pattern will show RS and WS rows. The cables always show on the RS rows so you can see what the pattern looks like. If you provide the first couple of rows as the pattern describes, maybe I can tell you what is going on.

Francie