[Boobs]

I've been knitting for a couple of years and I'm still on beginner level. I've made blankets, scarves, a couple hats, and dishcloths. I really want to start knitting more complicated things like sweaters and animals and things.
I got out my dpn's and got them all cast on and I just couldn't get into a groove with all those needles. Am I making it too hard? I just don't see how you could do anything with that big ol triangle of needles. It's so confusing and awkward.
What could make it easier? Does it just take a lot of practice???

 

[Malva]

I'm a beginner knitter too. The panta was my first project with increases, decreases and a pattern to read.

But I bought some really large (10mm) bamboo dpns and with SWS which knits really easily, I'm finding that the dpns are really easy to use. Surprisingly easy actually.

Get something super soft and a larger needle size. Maybe it will help.

HTH

 

[Boobs]

The ones I have are pretty small. Maybe that's the problem.

 

[mamasthree]

Pausing from my knitting the LTK raglan in the round sweater to reply (multitasking these days

)....working on the sleeve right now which is knit on 10.5 DPNs and I'm using hpy bulky merino (

: oh, so soft).

I'm a beginner, too, though I skipped the scarves stage. I've done ribby wraps, picky pants, hats and a panta--and I much prefer circular needles! Though I do notice that once I get a block of time to sit down, I can get in a groove with the DPNs. But I have to get through that initial "frustration"--feeling like I'm all thumbs and getting the needles to behave and not get in my way--each time I go back to the DPNs! I'm hoping it gets easier, too...

 

[binkin]

At first I also thought DPNs were really awkward but I don't mind them now. I use the Swallow type needles, which are made of casein and are at least reasonably soft. Metal DPNs really make my knuckles hurt (arthritis?) so I recommend wood or plastic of some nature.

A couple other things:
- If you tend to knit loosely, make sure you pull the first st after you change needles snug so you don't get that laddery gap thing.
- For me, it's easiest if both ends of the needle I'm working on are above the needles around it. Also, the "back end" of the needle I've just finished goes UNDER the one next to it. I'm not sure that makes sense without a photo but it works so much more easily.
- Also, I place the needle I'm working onto ABOVE the needle I've just finished.
- During the first few rounds, I inevitably feel like the work is an octopus that will attack me. Once you get a few rounds in, it sort of "stabilizes" itself and becomes much, much easier to work with.

I hope at least one of these helps you! I remember being so frustrated when I first used DPNs.

 

[Millie Ivy]

Binkin gave great advice!

I love my bamboo dpns, much easier than metal. Tho there are some yarns that the metal work nicely with. But I digress.
I had gotten a fat little knitting FAQ book at the library when I first started knitting, I can't remember the name now, but if I do I will post it. One suggestion in there was to lay out the needles on a pillow on your lap to orient yourself at first.

I also hold my needles like Binkin said, and tighten up at the beginning and end of the needle, and I don't even knit loosely.
Like all things, it gets easier with practice. My first dpn project were straight tubes (only I call them "armwarmers", lol) and it really gave me good practice!

 

[Ellien C]

You're not alone in feeling intimidated. But, knitting in the round pre-dates straight knitting, so it's actually an older skill. You can do this.

You're still only working with 2 needles at a time. What the PP said about the working needles being above or on top of the others.

Using 5 needles instead of 4 gives you a square instead of a triangle so the angles are easier to work with. I think European dpns are sold in sets of 5, but Americans mfg are cheap, so we get sets of 4!

 

[Millie Ivy]

See, I like knitting with sets of four better. It's tidier for me to only have a little two-pointed triangle in the back of my work than to mess with the rest of a square.

But that's just me.

 

[VikingKvinna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella Babe See, I like knitting with sets of four better. It's tidier for me to only have a little two-pointed triangle in the back of my work than to mess with the rest of a square. But that's just me.

No it's not. It's me too.

I much prefer 4 DPNs to 5, although sometimes 5 are handier (say, if you have a sock divided into 4 repeats of a pattern -- but even then you can put the first and last on one needle).

ITA that it helps (or helped me, at least) to remember that you are not in fact knitting with 4 or 5 needles at once; you are only ever knitting with two, just as you would with straights or with the two ends of a circ. The other needles are just holding your stitches, hanging out, waiting for you to need them.

It does get better with practice and time, but if you prefer circs or knitting flat, why not do that if you wish? Life is too short, yk?

HTH!

 

[Knittin' in the Shade]

I far prefer sets of 5, LOL

And, at the end of a needle, I put the right needle tip under the next needle and the workign needle goes above the last needle so that it's easier to work and hte old needle is out of the way

 

[Sarah]

If you are having trouble getting started... go ahead and cast on all your stitches on a straight or circular needle... knit four rows or so in pattern (ribbing etc) and then knit over onto your dpns... that little inch of material will really hold stuff together while you get a hang of it- and you can divide your stitches onto the needles as you like- and you can even stagger it so that the split (where the circle is joined) falls at the middle of one DPN instead of at the gap between two- that will help you to bridge that gap. When you are done with you knitting you can sew a tiny seam- no one will know the difference- and I bet you won't need to use this trick ever again.

 

[MeganW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VikingKvinna No it's not. It's me too. I much prefer 4 DPNs to 5, although sometimes 5 are handier (say, if you have a sock divided into 4 repeats of a pattern -- but even then you can put the first and last on one needle). It does get better with practice and time, but if you prefer circs or knitting flat, why not do that if you wish? Life is too short, yk? HTH!

How hard is it to work a pattern for dpn's on a circular? Is there somewhere that explains how to convert a pattern? (I really want to make my own socks but I'm terrified of dpn's)

 

[antannie]

I like to use 5 but I don't always. One of the reasons I do is that I always knit an extra stitch or two from the next needle to avoid loose seams and if I am distracted I forget and all of a sudden realize I have all my stitiches on two needles. I like circular needles best for most things and have a set of Denise needles I love. There is no problem interchanging dpns for circular as long as they fit with room to knit. Someone was talking about the "magic loop" and I think that is what I do. Could someone describe that? I can't get my head around it this morning.

 

[Leilalu]

I love dpns

Have you tried with shorter dpns?Are your dpns longer, like 7"? I prefer shorter ones for socks, and BAMBOO. it helps me keep my tension in check. I tend to knit really tight and I break bamboo, so it keeps me knitting softly

Well, kinda. Lets just say I have purchased 3 sets, ok??

I like to keep mine arranged in an organized way when i knit. Like, the one I am using overlaps the one next, and that one overlaps the next, and etc. So, it is easier to manage them all. I like to narrow it down to the lowest number I actually need as well.And I find you really need to find your rythm. The thing I tend to get aggrivated on, is the simple movement from one needle to the next. I find that annoying.lol But if I set them up in a way that makes it easier, then I don't mind so much..

 

[Leilalu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeganW How hard is it to work a pattern for dpn's on a circular? Is there somewhere that explains how to convert a pattern? (I really want to make my own socks but I'm terrified of dpn's)

I love knitting socks on two circulars

It takes a bit to learn, like I didn't get it at first, but after I did, watch out....

I would recomend buying a good pair of circs though, I have some cheaper sally bates and they tend to snag when knitting socks(at the point where wire meets needle).

http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/twocirculars.html

I do usually knit the heel and tow on DPNs though, because I have been using Ann Budds book ,The Knitter handy Book of Patterns,that has a basic sock pattern.

 

[kimberlychapman]

When I was a beginner, DPNs scared me. What the heck were those weird pointy things? Looked more like weapons than craft tools!

But because I loathe seaming, I gathered up the courage to learn how to use them so I could make baby hats. I couldn't find good tutorials online at the time (there were some out there but I found them intimidating and confusing), so I worked through it as best as I could until I figured it out.

Now I love them so much that I posted my own tutorial on how it works for me (http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/knit-dpn.html). Once I found that I could knit tubes, my toy designing took off big time.

Hang in there, practise a bit, and you'll get used to them.

 

[velveeta]

I am scared of them, too!

: But, I was forced to try them b/c I was making my picky pants and the shop was out of the smaller circulars. I was able to knit the tubes for the legs just fine, but I chose the seed stitch cuff at the bottom, and I kept messing it up until my circulars came in!

I do think that they just take practice, and I am happy that I have them b/c right after, I made a very easy hat for my son.

This is kind of funny, but since Ellien said "But, knitting in the round pre-dates straight knitting, so it's actually an older skill." It has made me want to do it more!

I thought it was a modern thing, but now that I know it is very ancient, I am totally into it! Makes me feel kind of Red Tent-ish, you know?

 

[Boobs]

Thank you so much for that tutorial, kimberlychapman! That is wonderful.
For one thing, I was casting on backwards!

 

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeganW How hard is it to work a pattern for dpn's on a circular? Is there somewhere that explains how to convert a pattern? (I really want to make my own socks but I'm terrified of dpn's)

any pattern for dpns will work on circulars, becuase you're just knitting a tube either way

But, socks can't be worked on ciruclars becuase hte circulars are too long, the small tube for the sock won't stretch around the circualr. Now, you can do the two circular method or magic loop, but IMO it's just easier to learn DPNs LOL!

 

[monkeys4mama]

Not just you. They intimidate me too. I tried making baby leggings on them. Gave up after a few inches. I'm going to go back and read all these posts and hopefully glean some useful info...