Has anyone done the sleeves on circular needle(s)?

I began my first sleeve last night, doing a long tail cast-on on a circular needle, then knitting onto dpns. A number of people on the "What would you do differently?" discussion suggested using a single strand for the hem section, so that's how I decided to start.

Big mistake. In the interest of full disclosure, I have done very little knitting using dpns and have not worked using this fine a yarn in a very long time. But I had done my swatches using 2 strands of shadow with no difficulty, so really didn't anticipate any problem on that score. I was having a miserable time trying to keep the piece from twisting and couldn't keep the stitches close enough between needles. I tried to keep in mind that the first several rows would be turned under for the hem and not show and that if I could just get a few rows on the needles, all would be well, but by the 3rd circuit, I frogged the whole thing.

Of course, I will start over. But I wonder, since you can knit a sock using 2 circulars or a magic loop, why not a sleeve?

If anyone has actually done so, I'd love to know how it worked out...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ruthmci on September 13, 2010 at 7:07am

I usually do sleeves on two circular needles and it works great! For my CLiC, I used the magic loop method and that worked well, too. I recently had to do a hat on dpns (it's a long story) and I didn't like it much--they were too short and I kept losing stitches from the ends...

Permalink Reply by Deb Van Iderstine on September 13, 2010 at 7:15am

Thank you! I had a feeling it might prove easier-I think that's what I'll go with for my next attempt.

Permalink Reply by englishrose on September 13, 2010 at 7:34am

I do most of my smaller circular knitting magic loop and have no problems, I've always found DPNs hard to work with and was thrilled when I found how to do the magic loop method.

Permalink Reply by Deb Van Iderstine on September 14, 2010 at 4:29am

I'm definitely with you on that!

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on September 13, 2010 at 8:30am

Anything that can be done on DPNs can be done on 2 circs or magic loop.

Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on September 13, 2010 at 8:54am

I did my sleeves on two circs.
Hi, Ruth!

Permalink Reply by Beth on September 13, 2010 at 8:59am

I did my sleeves on 1 circ, magic loop. I hardly ever knit on DPN's, maybe for a glove finger or something else very small circumference where the cord will be unweildy relative to the knitting, but I have done gloves or other things.

The only time I have used DPN's recently were for 1/2 stranded socks a la Anna Zilboorg in Magnificent Mittens and Socks which has an unusual construction and is knit flat off of DPN's attaching the sole and the instep to a narrow band that runs along the edge of the sock.

Permalink Reply by Deb Van Iderstine on September 13, 2010 at 12:06pm

Thanks all! Am using magic loop successfully now-had only used it previously for a Cat Bordhi Moebious design, and was a little uncertain . This is definitely a serious improvement over the dpns!

Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on September 13, 2010 at 12:11pm

I don't know too many people who have tried either ML or two circs who still prefers dpns. There are a few, though. Isn't it nice to have so many options for how to knit something?

Permalink Reply by Bonnie on September 13, 2010 at 2:14pm

Yes, I have just finished the first sleeve on the Knit Picks #2 - 16" harmony circular needle, and it was so much easier than working on the DPN. Plus you do not have any gaps between needles. Now I need to CO the second sleeve. But, I am thinking about leaving the first sleeve on the circulars and ordering another pair to do the second sleeve. Eveything I have read here, has me wondering if I will have to add to the called for 17" length once I piece it to the body. But definitely the circulars are the way to go.

Permalink Reply by Deb Van Iderstine on September 14, 2010 at 4:28am

I'm using the harmony interchangeables, and the cables for those come 2 to a pack, along with end pieces, so you can take off the needles and use one cable as a stitch holder while working with the other one-somebody was thinking when they packaged them that way!

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on September 14, 2010 at 7:41am

Debora, the problem here is that the interchangeable needles only go down to 4s. 3s and below are only available as fixed needles. But you are correct! The interchangeables are great!