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Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on April 16, 2009 at 5:17pm: Michell,
You may have picked up a stitch by accidentally wrapping your yarn in the knitting process (in fact I did this today with a pair of socks. K2P2 ribbing,,, you should be knitting the knitted stitched and purling the purled stitches. I have included the tutorial link here at KP that explains ribbing. Hope this helps.

http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Ribbing
Susan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on April 16, 2009 at 7:34pm: Michelle: I agree with Susan's answer, but you have several things going on. Susan is right, you should K the K and P the P. When you work in the round, you are always on the right side (at least until you start going back and forth for the heel), so you work the sts as they appear unless told otherwise.
I think I saw a circular needle small enough for socks somewhere, but the tighter the circumference of a circ, the shorter the needle tips need to be. These circs for socks (sounds funny, doesn't it?) end up with needle tips that are really hard to hold onto. If you liked working the hat on a 16" circ, you will probably like making socks using either:
1) 2 circs (24" works well, and you just do half of the sock on one needle and half on the other), or
2) Magic Loop (you will do better with a longer circ, but you will only need one, and you still do half of the sock on one side and half on the other).
I ADORE my Knit Picks circs, both the fixed circs and the Options. The cables are really flexible.
I will try to find some sock patterns you can download, but you can actually use any sock pattern with circulars once you understand sock construction and have a few pairs under your belt. Some books, such as Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks, have the option of using dpns or two circs. You can do Magic Loop by following the pattern for two circs.
I'll look for socks with circs and get back to you; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on April 16, 2009 at 8:10pm: Michelle: Here's a link to a free pattern for simple socks using two circs--

http://fuzzynoodleknits.typepad.com/photos/free_patterns/100_1635.html; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Elianastar on April 14, 2009 at 12:28pm: You can knit smaller diameter projects in several manners, depending on the diameter and personal preference.

Socks are very small diameter and for a whole lot of history, were knitted on DPN... because they really had no other options.

Slightly larger diameter projects, like a hat, were either knit on DPNs, or later, when someone came up with the idea of circular needles, some people started knitting hats on short length cables... like a 16" circular needle. Like the directions for the Easy Peasy Hat. (You could also use ML to do this pattern, hence a longer circular needle would be required.)

Then, someone (Cat Bordhi) came up with the idea that you could use two shorter circular needles at the same time instead of DPN to knit small diameter projects like socks and hats.

Finally, someone came up with the idea of using ONE LONG circular needle instead of DPNs or a short length circular needle or two circular needles: Magic Loop.

Magic Loop can, theoretically, eliminate the need for DPN and short circular needles. I, personally, use ML for pretty much all circular knitting. I may submit to the 4" DPNs for glove fingers, but other than that, if it is a smaller diameter than comfortably fits on the shortest cable for my Options needles, I use Magic Loop.

Here's some links you'll find helpful:
Magic Loop tutorials
http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Knitting_in_the_Round
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6WjsTMALu0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-aWWES8Rxc&feature=related
http://www.knitpicks.com/The+Magic+Loop_BD30340.html

Hopefully, this will demystify some of this for you. :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Elianastar on April 14, 2009 at 11:52am: First, about the hat... do check out the tutorial and pattern Alison suggested. Its an excellent first in the round project.

As for the "ball bouncing around in my bag" I find a gallon zip bag inside my bag a better solution. Keeps my ball cleaner, prevents snags on objects in my bag, and the bag helps the ball "bounce" better which helps it unwind more smoothly.

Hanks and Ball Winding:
You can avoid winding yarn into balls lots of times. There is a school of thought that all yarn should be rewound into the flatbottomed "cakes" you can create with a ballwinder. They do use space more efficiently that way and are often much neater than skeins. But, most people who use a center-pull skein don't.

If your yarn has been put up into a hank, you'll want to seriously consider winding it up into a ball. I've heard of some people who have opened up the hank and hung it on something nearby and knit directly from the hank... but you'd want to only knit your project from that same location until the hank has been almost completely used.

A hank of yarn can tangle up into an unholy mess faster than you can possibly imagine! It is entirely possible you'll prefer to wind it up, somehow or other, into a ball as quickly as possible before knitting with it. Some people will wind a hank into a ball when they get it, for better storage. Some wait until getting ready to use it.

KP's ball winder is the best price you'll probably find anywhere, certainly for the price. They are even kind enough to provide a video tutorial on how to use it! :-)

If you want to wait to invest in a ball winder, you may find one of these useful:

Winding a ball from a Hank
http://knitting.about.com/od/learntoknit/ss/hank_winding.htm
(I think using the thumb as shown makes the ball too tight in the middle)
http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/secure-html/onlineec/instructionalArt...
(this is closer to what I do)
http://everything2.com/title/How%2520to%2520wind%2520a%2520center%2...
http://www.knitpicks.com/Knitting+Yarn+Ball+Winder_AD80583.html
http://community.knitpicks.com/video/how-to-use-a-ball-winder
http://www.knitpicks.com/Knitting+Yarn+Swift_AD80083.html

... or devise your own variation. I'm one of those weird birds who enjoys winding yarn into balls. I find it a great activity while watching a movie or the news (especially these days). It can be a very "Zen" sort of soothing activity. I sit up in bed with my knees bent and drape the opened hank around my knees and wind, and wind, and wind, and...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Fifield on April 15, 2009 at 9:24pm: If you are interested in a swift that is nicely handmade and 1/2 the price of the regular umbrella swifts, email me, and I will send you the link. I found it on ebay. I thought it would be ok to say that here, since KnitPicks does not offer a swift at this time. It is a nice gift to yourself, or if you have a birthday or something coming up....; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Elianastar on April 16, 2009 at 12:46pm: I am interested in a swift, although I'm not in any big hurry for one. I'm hoping to finally get my basement cleaned out and one half of it organized into a craft center for my daughter and I. When I do, I'll have a permanent place to put a swift and then I'll definitely want one. For now, my knees work fine and I don't wind that many hanks of yarn that I really wish I had one particularly.

A swift, for me, is definitely a "wanna" not a "gotta." But, I would be interested in your link... PM it to me?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by theblackhen on May 14, 2009 at 7:12pm: I learned to knit socks with dpn's and Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. She includes instructions for 4 or 5 dpn's and 2 circular needles. I started with the practice sock and a worsted weight yarn in a light color so I could see what was going on. Now I've knit lots of socks with the different methods which keeps me from getting bored. Don't use metal dpn's at first because they are slippery and heavier than wood and you would get frustrated. The only difficult part of dpn's is the first few rounds until you've knit enough to steady the needles. Just practice on something you don't plan to keep or wear and you'll have no worries.

I only recently bought the Knit Picks ball winder and I've always done mine by hand even if they do fall apart by the end of the ball. I would set hanks on my knees or around my laptop. It's not very graceful but it gets the job done.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Fifield on April 14, 2009 at 11:54am: I second the personal preference of socks on one long circular, AKA Magic Loop. Don't even give yourself a chance to end up with Second Sock Syndrome! Do them at the same time!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ellen Martin on April 14, 2009 at 1:27pm: Thank you - this helps - mostly discussion on altering fine gauge sweaters but i don't see why I couldn't try it on this one even though the knit is a bit looser than that......; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Teresa Green on April 15, 2009 at 2:57pm: Ok ladies I have problem. I have just started to learn to knit in the round...currently I an utilizing the magic loop method to knit baby booties...I have no problem executing steps in flat knitting. But when this pattern says M1 and turn, I freeze up. I'm knitting in the round so, I am having a problem visualizing this being done in the round. I don't see a video tutorial about it and I'm just having a fit...somebody please help.....; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Renee on April 15, 2009 at 3:24pm: It sounds like you are at the heel. Just do what the pattern says. Make a stitch AND turn. You will most likely be purling to the next spot where, I am guessing, you will make 1 and turn again. This is making the heel flap. Hope this helps just a little. I have worked with the four and five needle method and also two circulars. I have not done the magic loop, but it has to be much the same. You go girl. I know you can do it!!!; ▶ Reply to This