I’ve completed the front side now I have to start the back. The lace pattern is knitted in the round and then it’s gradually turned into a square to make up the back. I have never used DPNs before and I am trying to figure out a cheat.
I feel like an octopus with all these needles sat in my lap and I keep losing my patience as well as stitches. I wish teeny cables with weeny stubby needles existed!!!
So in the back pattern, I have to make a magic circle, 6 stitches, knit into those stitches on row 1, then row 2 I start adding the increases. If this was crochet it would be so much simpler.
Is there some knack or cheat that you could teach me to help me get started please? Even with my tiniest cable and needles I think I’ll still be looking at 25 rows before I can transfer to cable.
Pretty lace!
Beginning a project with dpns always feels like flying needles all over the place. There are other ways to work this though. You can use 2 circulars or work magic loop. There are also 9 inch circulars which will work once you get a
start with enough sts on the needle. Flexi-flips are a possibility too.
This is amazing thank you!!! I was just looking at those curved dpn in an online store, but of course, two cables!! Why didn’t I think of this? The perfect hack, thank you so much.
And so much respect to my Nana’s generation, growing up on DPNs!!
One of the most difficult ways to use dpns is at the cast on and first few rows. Using them to close a hat is easy in comparison. Using those extra long dpns to knit a sweater? Those were the days of the giants and my admiration to them.
Good luck with the lovely sweater and please do post a photo when you finish!
Would it be possible to start such a project with crochet for the magic loop and the first row of increases and then transfer it onto needles? Or would that be too much structural difference?
Yes. You can start a pinhole cast on with a crochet hook. It’s what I generally do. If I can find a video I’ll post the link but I need to go to bed so it will have to wait. Meanwhile you might wish to experiment and see how it will work for you. You can place the loop on the hook on a needle rather than complete the crochet stitch. That’s probably about as clear as mud. Should you care to try your luck with videos, you can look for Emily Ocker’s cast on, pinhole cast on, and whatever else you think might work for search terms.
There can be some difference between the crochet and knitting but chances are it won’t be very noticeable and you don’t need to point it out to anyone.
No that made sense I’m not very good with crochet yet, although I’ve gotten more comfortable with it after I got one specifically for fixing knitting mistakes in the size I use most… It’s a bit far in my list of projects I want to do, but I’d like to try to make a shawl by starting with a crochet flower and then transition into knit for the rest of it…
Thanks so much for suggesting these floppy DPNs, I may just be a convert! Jasper is impressed too (he likes to add to the fibre content of everything I make/wear.)
