Double-Pointed and Fixed Circulars

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Permalink Reply by Lindy-Lou on April 23, 2008 at 5:10pm

Yes, I'm using the Essential yarn. What a good idea to use larger needles. I'll try that. You sound like a very creative person, developing your own methodology. I seem to be ruled by the pattern. Time to think out of the box!
I'm going to grab that yarn and start again. I will keep you posted. Thanks for the encouraging words.

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Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on April 24, 2008 at 9:44am

It's not so much a matter of creativity, but when you knit a sock (top down), each pattern is basically the same. You knit it sock part by sock part, until you come to the toes, then stitch then together. My methodology is aimed to be as simple as possible... that way you have time to consider patterns, cables, and other enhancements. Remember patterns as l ike instructions for anything... it's just one person's opinion.

Hope it goes well.

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Permalink Reply by nancyh on May 17, 2008 at 10:40am

You might want to buy a set of larger double-points just to practice with. I've done more socks than I care to think about and sometimes run into the problem you're having. When the needles are really slippery that first row can be a problem.

A suggestion to keep the stitches from falling off the back of the needle - find an old eraser and cut it into several pieces. The pieces should be larger than the stitches that keep sliding off the needle. Push the ends of the needles into the eraser bits. Only take the eraser bits off the two ends you're working with. After about 3 rows the fabric should be stable enough to stay on the needles.

good luck

nancy

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Permalink Reply by Lindy-Lou on May 17, 2008 at 11:04am

Nancy, thank you so much for the eraser "method." What a great idea! I can't wait to try it.
Linda

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Permalink Reply by Lunargent on July 30, 2008 at 12:38am

Hi -

I think the Magic Loop advice was good, but I prefer using 2 circular needles. It's very similar to Magic Loop, but I find it faster, and don't worry about stretching out my yarn. It's much easier to work with tiny stitches with circulars than with DPN's - no sliding off the back end! And just move the stitches to the cords when you put the knitting away, to keep all the stitches intact. Once you learn the very easy technique, it goes fast. On the other hand, my friend, an accomplished DPN knitter, doesn't like it because the dangling circular hanging down distracts her. Try every method; you'll find the one that works best for you.

Oh, and the 1st row or 2 on DPN's is ALWAYS hard. Looking back at your post, it looks like you've probably knitted with DPN's before; but the tiny slippery needles, and tiny slippery yarn, really do compound the problem. Many knitters find it helpful to lay the piece on a cushion on their lap when they're starting out, so the needles won't slip out of the stitches. Once you get a few rows going, the knitting will help hold the needles in place.
Also, needle length and size are much more critical. I have 8" long needles - too long, and the points are everywhere. Then I have a bunch of 5" shorties - easier to handle, but harder to keep all the stitches on. My new set of 7" seems to be working pretty well; I'd recommend 6" or 7" length. THIS is why I like the 2 circulars much better. Also, I don't lose as many of them down the side of the recliner! ;->

I bought some elasticized cotton/wool sock yarn over the weekend, tried working it, and HATED it! Couldn't make it do anything - couldn't even knit 2 together. But I tried again, going down from a size 2 to a 1, and it works much better. So, although it means buying more needles, you might want to go to a different size (borrow from somebody 1st and try it out). Sometimes it's easier to adjust the pattern/gauge than fight the yarn.

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Permalink Reply by Lunargent on July 30, 2008 at 1:09am

Oops - I forgot another crucial thing - what are your needles made of? The metal ones are much slicker than wood or bamboo. If you have metal, you might want to get a set of bamboo DPN's, Either work with them instead,.or just use them to cast on and work the 1st round. The way the yarn grips them makes it a lot easier. Then you can switch to the metal needles, if strength and speed are your concerns.

Okay, I think I'm done now - I do run on!

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Permalink Reply by nancyh on May 17, 2008 at 10:57am

I use size 4 needles a LOT. I have re-shaped the points on my Addi Turbos, and several sets of Bates aluminum needles, from too much use. So I was hoping the Options Harmony wood needles would stand up a little better than have the aluminum ones. Sadly, the Options size 4 circular only comes in a 16" length. Are there any plans to offer the larger gauge needles in longer lenghts? Maybe 24"?

thanks

nancy

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Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on May 19, 2008 at 7:12am

You could buy a set of the US 4 Harmony interchangeable tips and then pick out the length of cable that you need. One benefit is that you get two cables in each pack, and you could have two projects going at once and switch the tips between them.

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Permalink Reply by mariane martin on May 20, 2008 at 1:28pm

When I teach new knitters to make anything in DPN I always have them do the first few rows back and forth on longer straight needles and then switch to DPN. This helps with twisting of stitches and stitches falling off the end. Just knit the number of stitches onto each DPN as they come off your straight. Try it out on your next sox to see if it helps
Mariane

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Permalink Reply by Lindy-Lou on May 20, 2008 at 4:53pm

Thanks, I'll try this! I'm determined to not let this sock pattern defeat me (oh, did I say de-feet me?)
Linda

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Permalink Reply by marymcelroy on May 27, 2008 at 8:25am

I am a big fan of the options needles, but wonder why shorter cables aren't available, such as 16 or 20".

I noticed 20" circulars aren't available at all. I have a pattern that calls for a 20" - I assume I should use a 16"?

Mary McElroy
Memphis, TN

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Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on May 28, 2008 at 9:13am

The interchangeable needle tips are too long for a 16" cable to work correctly - you wouldn't be able to get the tips to come together comfortably. Because of this, Knit Picks carries fixed circular needles with 16" cables and shorter needle tips in sizes from US 0 to US 11. You can see the full selection right here.

Re: cable length, it depends on what you're knitting. If your finished piece isn't small in diameter (like a sock or sleeve), you could go up to a 24" circular needle. If you're working on a small diameter piece, you could either use a fixed 16" circular or you could use a 40" circular with the Magic Loop method. You could also try the two circular needles method of knitting in the round. All of our knitting in the round tutorials are located here.

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