I am making a beanie and it calls for double pointed needles - I’ve never used them so I’m confused as to what to do when I get to the place where it says to change to the double pointed needles - it is followed by the following instructions: Rnd. 1 [k6, k2tog] around. (84 sts); Rnd. 2: Knit; Rnd. 3: [k5, k2tog] around. (72 sts)
Rnd. 4: Knit; Rnd 5. [k4, k2tog] around. (60 sts); and on and on - my question - how many stitches do I put on each set of double pointed needles? Is it 84 on the first set, 72 on the second, 60 on the third, and on?
Appreciate any guidance – many thanks
Peggyw:muah:
The number of stitches you have when it says to change to double point needles can be divided more or less evenly on your three needles. Make sure to place a marker of some sort to know where the last stitch was and the next round begins. Your pattern shows that you will be starting to decrease. After your first round of decreasing you will have 84 stitches, etc. Don’t worry if you come to the stitches at the end of a needle and are supposed to Knit 2 together, but don’t have two stitches left to do so. Simply slip the next stitch onto the other needle so that you can knit them together.
And you don’t have to transfer your sts to the dpns, just take one and knit some of the sts with it, then take the next one and knit sts with it, and the next one…
Thank you for your help - I think I’m beginning to understand. At the point where I’m to change to the dpns I have a total of 397 stitches on the round needles - so I should divide evenly to the dpns?
Peggy - Is that a typo? - the number of total stitches you have - 397?
Back to your original post, at the end of row 1 - the number in parenthesis (84 sts) - is the total number of stitches you should have on your needle after you finish row 1. Ditto with row 2 - you should have 72 sts left.
At some point, the number of stitches left will not fit confortably on the circular needle you’re using. That is a good point to start using the dbl pt needles. And yes, whatever number of stitches you have, divide by 3 and put that many on each of 3 dbl pt ndls.
No it isn’t a typo - I have 397 stitches on the round needles - and I wondered if this could possibly be correct - but the directions had me do a [k1, sl1] around on 3 rows, [sl1, k1] around on 1 round and [p1, sl 1 wyib] around on 2 rounds - and I started with 96 stitches - so wouldn’t every “around” add a stitch? Or am I nuts and it just means to follow the pattern “around” the round? Could be a rather large OOPS!!!
sl1 just means you slip the stitch without working. It shouldn’t add any sts. Around just means you keep doing those 2 sts all the way around the needles, not putting the yarn around the needle. You should still have 96 sts. Then, on the dpns, when you do the k6, k2tog for the entire round, it will leave you with the 84 sts.