Magic Loop - again

How-to Questions
1

OK, I think I love to hate this… I love doing it, but I hate it!!! Why?

I keep getting a ladder on the joiny-bendy bit!! I’ve watched all the video’s, and I’ve pulled the stitches really tightly for about 3 stitches before, and 3 stitches afterwards… Which to begin with, is fine and seems ok, but as I do more rows, the stitches seem to pull more - and the ladder appears…

I can see it being useful for so many different things, but this ladder is going to drive me nuts. (Perfectionist alert…)

I’ve tried using a longer cable and using smaller needles (might have been slightly too thick for the yarn i was using…)

I’m using 4 ply wool, on size 6 needles, (4mm). The cable length is 30/31" (knitpicks harmony).

And I’ve still got a ladder. OK, it’s a lot smaller than it was initially, but can anyone help??

Will it dissappear when I wash the item? Or not?

El.

2

I sometimes get ladders with ML…I have read that your not suppose to…but I don’t ever remeber getting ladders with dpns…:rofl:

You may want to move your sts around every few rounds…move the last st on one needle to the other…this may help :thumbsup:

I have a pair of socks that had ladders very bad going up the side…washing helped some but I can still see it…:teehee:

3

Yes, knitting a couple sts extra from the 2nd needle (then the 1st when you get to the end of the round) every round helps. Also, when you’re done, washing and/or blocking really helps a lot. I’ve heard pulling sts tighter makes it worse.

4

So, if i’m going to slip a couple of stitches after every round - I keep my stitch / row marker exactly where it is?

This looked so easy on the videos!!

El.

5

Yes, the marker is for the beginning of the round and it has to stay in the same place in your stitches, but not the same place relative to the needle, if you understand what I mean.

6

Thanks Suzeeq… #heads back to the needles#

DH can hear chanting similar to "this will not beat me… this will NOT beat me…#

lol

El.

7

I’ve never tried it, but if the ladder’s still there after blocking, you might be able to take a small needle and use it to pull the stitches together at the ladder and distribute the slack evenly over the surrounding few stitches. Does that make any sense?

8

I try to have the back loop, the one I M not using twist on itself once to make an X at the place you get ladders
also, after I have pulled the old needle to start knitting, THEN I cinch the last 3 stitches from the back half of the project (They will be tightish around the cable).
I will admit it looks like I might be getting ladders, for a row or two, but they all smooth out as I go through my project.

hope this helps

ecb

9

I’m not getting ladders, but I am getting holes (not every row, but always at the place where I change needles). I’ve taken out my work now 5 times and am tempted to go back to dpns (where I do get ladders, btw).

Any one have an explanation on why I’m getting a hole? Argh!

10

Maybe the end of a needle is catching the yarn between 2 sts and if you don’t notice that it’s not a regular stitch, you’ll knit it like it is anyway.