DPN question - why am I purling? **UPDATED** with a FO pic, too!

[jennifercp8]

I am making the Perfectly Pear longies and I just split for the legs. I totally thought I was rocking the DPN's (my first time), and I look back and realize my stitches are coming out purled. : What am I doing wrong?

Updated 1/19 - thanks again for the help! All of your hints were helpful, and I finished them. I ended up frogging my original project and CO with different yarn. I wanted to try my hand at dying, and this is it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...Y/IMG_3881.jpg

[Think of Winter]

My guess is that you somehow turned your work around and are knitting the back instead of the front. Can you see where the ks turned to ps? Go back to that spot and start again. The last finished stitch should be on the right needle.

Unless you're working short rows...Then it could have been something else.

[jennifercp8]

It only started purling right where I started with the DPN's. The waist, hips, and rise (the bum) were all knitted on a circular.

[Think of Winter]

Are you knitting, but the fabric is purled on the right side? Did you understand what I wrote about knitting on the inside instead of the outside of the garment?

If you picked up the work, switched to dpns, and got confused about which way to go, you may have started knitting the stitches you'd already done, or knitting backwards. Does that make sense, or is that not what happened?

[jennifercp8]

I thought I undertood - but I guess I don't! :

I am knitting, but the stitches are coming out purled - and I think I am knitting on the correct side of the ...

WAIT! I think I know what you are talking about. When I started the work, I worked from the waist band down. And now when I look at what I am knitting, it is opposite. Is that what you mean?

[Think of Winter]

Yup, that's it. You're knitting on the back instead of the front I bet. You need to frog it to where you switched, then knit in the right direction. It should be right where it turned from knit to purl.

[Twinklefae]

Originally Posted by Think of Winter

Yup, that's it. You're knitting on the back instead of the front I bet. You need to frog it to where you switched, then knit in the right direction. It should be right where it turned from knit to purl.

:

[jennifercp8]

OK... this will have to wait until tomorrow's naptime sit-in. DS won't fall asleep at naptime unless I am sitting there, which usually means I am knitting in the semi-dark.

I will update when I get a chance to frog back. But maybe you can help me before I do - I have never been good at frogging back and being able to save my piece. Can you give me tips on how to frog back to a specific point and get my needles in there correctly?

[Think of Winter]

I hate frogging, too. You can look for exactly where your stitches change, and with a darning needle, loop some contrasting yarn over a stitch at that point so you'll know where to stop. Get out some smaller dpns or a couple of smaller circs. Take your work off the dpns, and slowly pop out one stitch at a time, so that you're really taking out individual stitches and not causing any runs. You may have to hold the fabric and work at some of the stitches, especially if your yarn has any mohair. Unravel until you get to the marked stitch, and slide your smaller needles into the stitches until you've picked them up all the way around. Don't worry about direction yet.

Do you have working yarn where the boo boo started, or did you have to start a new ball of yarn at this point?

If you have working yarn, make sure you have your work oriented so that your last finished stitch is on the right. If you're starting a new ball, then your work should fall down from your needles with the knit side facing out.

Now you're ready to start knitting. Look at each stitch as you come to it. Your next stitch will be at the far right tip of your left needle. Depending on how you picked the stitches up, some may be backwards. A correct stitch will come from the back to the front, from the left to the right. The part of the stitch you're knitting into, that is the part that is closest to the right needle, should be in the front. If it's in the back, your stitch is twisted, and you should knit into the back instead of the front to correct it.

I'm not so good at explaining this!! Maybe someone else will chime in, or watch some videos on Knittinghelp.com.

Good luck!

[flapjack]

OK. Take a darning needle and some fine yarn (I like cotton for this. ) Look back to your last row of neatly formed knit stitches and sew through every single one of those stitches. This is called a lifeline. Knot the end loosely.
Now take the needles out and wind the wool back into a ball. Slide your needles back into place on the stitches you just saved and then start knitting.
Look closely at every stitch on the first round to make sure that it's aligned correctly: they should have the right leg (on the front of the needle) slightly forward. If it doesn't look like this then correct the alignment or knit it through the back loop. (This sounds hard, but really, it isn't. Otherwise you'll get twisted stitches which will bug you.) Colleen has a very good point there.

eta: do not take your lifeline out until you cast off on this leg. Similarly, if the stitches for your other leg are secured on yarn, just don't take the yarn out. It saves a lot of grief if things are going to go wrong.

[jennifercp8]

ok - I frogged back going painfully slow and repicking up each stitch as a went - it got a little wonky. I am most DEFINITELY doing the suggested lifeline next time. What a great suggestion! I have some really thin crochet thread that would be perfect for that - and this will help me in the future when I need to frog back when knitting lace. It is the reason I haven't completed a lace scarf I have tried about 3 times now!

I didn't get to re-knit too far yet, but so far so good.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your help!!! :

[jennifercp8]

Updated my original post!

[flapjack]

Very nice