newbie DPNs question

[Callimom]

Hi

I am taking a class to learn to knit my first pair of socks. I've gotten to the point in the pattern where I have to start the heel flap and I have to figure out which is needle 1 and needle 2. I am assuming that it has something to with where I started but I'm worried I will start off on the wrong needle and mess it up.
tia
Karen

[fancyoats]

i'm not an expert and i have not made socks before, but you know the tail end of the yarn where you started? wouldn't that be directly under needle 1?

if i'm wrong, hopefully someone will correct me

[SophieAnn]

That sounds right to me. Assuming you knit right-handed, needle 1 would be just to the left of the tail hanging down (where you started).

Beware! Knitting socks is addictive.

[MamaWolfe]

you could also add a marker to needle 1

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn

That sounds right to me. Assuming you knit right-handed, needle 1 would be just to the left of the tail hanging down (where you started).

Beware! Knitting socks is addictive.

Thank you!
I am already finding this addictive -lol.
I have another pair cast on so that once I learn how to do the next step I should be able to make up 2 pair fairly quickly!

Karen

[Callimom]

Thanks everyone for your help.
Karen

[trauerweidchen]

It's a few days late, but... after you've knit a couple of socks, and are comfortable with DPNs, you'll find that it doesn't necessarily matter (for the patterns I use anyway) where you start the heel flap. You may need to rearrange where your stitches are and make sure you have the right number on the heel flap needle, but it's pretty forgiving really. Knowing which needle is which is more important later on (I'm assuming you're knitting from the top down to the toe; I've never knit a sock in the other direction) as you rejoin into the round and decrease down to the body of the sock, and then again at the toe.

I love knitting socks.