I am working on a pattern called Patons Nordic pullover. The sleeves involves using either double pointed needles or circular. I am having a hard time with magic loop. Every time I try even a few rows I end up with a hole on the sides or long strand of yarn and every time I switch sides the yarn is tight and difficult to push. Are some yarns not adviced with magic loop? What am I doing wrong. I don’t want to buy the two double pointed just for this project.
Magic loop
The tight yarn may be due to pulling the working yarn when the stitch is on the cable part of the circular rather than the barrel of the needle.
The hole or long strand may also be a matter of tension on the yarn. I tend to use dpns or two circular needles to work a sleeve (mostly dpns). @GrumpyGramma uses magic loop and will be able to comment better than I.
I will try this technique if it doesn’t work I’ll just have to get double pointed needles.
Thanks
Magic loop takes practice. Some yarns are more challenging than others but none that I’ve used won’t work well with magic loop. I agree that tensioning the yarn is probably the culprit, and for me it’s pretty much the same for two circs or magic loop. Right now I’m using traveling loop because I’m too lazy to set up my interchangeables with a shorter cable to change to a shorter circ. At first I had ladders between needles then I was tightening too much and that came with its own problems. Eventually I got so I rarely see a problem. I will still have that one stitch that’s tight and requires gentle (?) persuasion to move onto the barrel of the needle. I was thinking of suggesting using two circs but realized the same problem with changing needles makes the two methods not so very different for me. For me changing from one dpn to the next also presents a tensioning issue. Are you experienced with dpn?
Before buying needles, if ML simply isn’t your thing for now, you might try knitting the sleeves flat and seaming them. I know other knitters do this with some patterns. I’m a big advocate for in the round, seamless knitting and would encourage you to keep trying, but I realize it’s not the best way for every knitter.
Is this your pattern?
I usually avoid magic loop. I’m just not all that comfortable with it and can manage a sweater body for instance for not a sleeve. My preference for sleeves is to knit flat and seam them just as GG mentioned. If you chose to do this you would add 1 selvedge stitch each end (so pattern stitch count plus 2) to allow for seaming. Of course for colourwork knit flat you have to deal with working the purl side with your colours and stranding, some people hate that and would avoid it but I am very happy to purl with colour charts.
Knitting needs to be fun and sometimes a tricky technique is worth persevering with and getting that big sense if achievement, other times it’s just not worth the stress and frustration. Choose whatever makes the process best for you.
Hi,
This is the pattern. I have never used double pointed needles but I might need to learn because I am having issues with tension magic loop. You described the issue really well. I will try a few more times with this video. You gave me a great idea to just knit straight and seam later.
I never thought of that. So if I decided to knit flat to add one on each end and purl the other side. How does that work with fair isle knitting?
Flat stranded knitting is from you know where for me. If I can’t do it in the round I won’t do it. Thanks for explaining how to convert to flat. I know how but I didn’t even think to mention the details.
You’ll figure out what works for you. You might love dpn. I don’t but others do. Circulars are long, floppy dpn but not having a stitch on the cable to get tight might make all the difference for you. With two circs you could leave stitches on the barrel when you change to the other needle and avoid that problem - I just thought about that. I finally caved and bought an inexpensive set of dpn in many sizes but for me they come into their own for dropping down and repairing mistakes. I’m klutzy and always seem to drop the needle I just emptied with dpn and with two circs, I forget to change needles and end up with all the stitches on one.
I can see that being a problem with circular needles. The videos I’ve watched on Magic loop look easy but it is not so easy. Thanks for your suggestions.
With stranded colour work, or fairisle, there is usually a chart showing the colours to work. The chart shows the RS or right side of the fabric (outside of the garment) and therefore all the knit side of the work.
When knitting in the round you keep working knit stitches and reading the chart from right to left.
When knitting flat you read right to left on a RS or knit row, at the end of the row you turn your work, now the WS or wrong side (inside of garment) is facing you and all the stitches present as purls. On the WS you read the chart from left to right and you purl every stitch. All the floats or strands are carried on this side too. At the end of the row you turn your work and you will see the RS is all knits as it should be and that all the colours match the chart.
Some charts give you an indication of which direction to read in for flat work. They have a 1 (row 1) on the right of the chart as that is where you start reading from on the RS. They have a 2 (row 2) on the left of the chart because row 2 is a WS row and you read left to right. The 3 appears on the right, the 4 on the left, and so on. This is very helpful. Some have a little arrow pointing in the direction to read, the arrow on row 1 points left, the arrow on row 2 points right. If a chart has neither of these and is only numbered on one side (and perhaps only numbered 5, 10, 15, 20… rather than every row) you can just draw the arrows on yourself or if you don’t want to mark your pattern place a removable sticky note along the edge of the chart and draw your arrows on that.
With the extra stitch each end used for seaming, just remember this stitch is not charted, knit or purl in either colour, you can just work it in the same colour as the last stitch on the chart or you can choose to work all selvedge stitches in the main colour, it will disappear into the seam. Mattress stitch for the seam will give a lovely neat finish and you are unlikely to see the seam.
As I said earlier, some people just hate colourwork flat as the full rows of purls drive them crazy, some people also hate seaming. I actually quite like seaming and there are benefits too of having seamed work as it gives structure and support to a garment so it can hold its shape.
If you have never worked stranded colourwork flat before I suggest a good sized swatch to practice on first, it will give you the opportunity to practise the stranding and tension on the purl side before taking on a full sleeve - it will also help youndecide if this is something you want to pirue and master or if its even worse than magic loop! I practised a good length with various colours and charts when I decided to learn stranded work and was quite comfortably working 4 and 5 colours in a row - so when I work just 2 colours it is very comfortable. You can use any yarn for your practise if you have something left over from another project.
I hope this helps with your dilemma so you can decide how to continue.
The advantage of working in the round especially for Scandinavian stranded work is that the different color yarns are always available to work the next round. When you change and work flat you may get to the end of a row and find that the yarn needed for the next row is at the other edge of your work.
Happily for you, this won’t be the case in working the cuff stranded section on your sweater. The pattern repeat is such that both colors will be used across each row. You will get to the yoke and sleeve join before color work chart II is used.
It’s a striking design and a fun knit. Enjoy and please let us see a photo when you finish!
This makes a lot of sense. I really want to learn magic loop but it might not be for me. I will try a few more times with those tips. I’m probably will try to make it with circular needles the way you described and using mattress seam. I will have to practice before hand because fairisle is new to me. So the broken rib for the sleeves, I will have to purl instead on the wrong side also.
You have explained it really well. Thanks you so much.
Maybe this is only me, but when I work with DPNs, I tend to have the tension issue you describe every time I move from one needle to another, so FOUR times instead of twice I get a kind of loose ladder unless I pay close attention. They don’t have the issue of the thinner cable, though, so they’re never too tight. I think whichever technique you use is just goint to take some practice.
Also–you won’t have 2 DPNs–they come in sets of 5. You have your work on 3 or 4 (depending on circumference), and use the extra one to knit with. You knit off of needle 1 onto #5, then use the empty #1 to knit off the stitches from #2, use #2 to knit from #3, etc. Like Grumpy Grandma, I tend to forget to pick up the other needle and just keep knitting until I’ve got way too many on one needle and can’t get around the corner. Magic Loop or 2 circs for me!
You are right. I will need to practice. Right now I am trying just 2 circulars to see if I don’t mess up the fair isle. I took a break from magic loop due to issue of loose stitches and having difficulty moving the stitches to work on. If that doesn’t work out I’ll try double pointed.
Two circulars work quite well. I’ve used them for a shawl that was extra wide (not even knitting a small circle here just a looong row). Just be sure when you change needles that you use two ends of the same circular. Otherwise as GG posted, you’ll end up with all the sts on one circular. Not the end of the world but annoying.
Sorry, I meant one circular. I haven’t tried the method you mention.
As Salmonmac mention two circulars is easy once you adjust at it. I learn recently to knit socks using magic loops and I can tell you now is lot easier than dpn and no ladders
You can due this, I find magic loop so easy now, although I too use have issues, with any type of stranded work but DPN’s for me were a struggle, I can suggest only to breath, take time away, when you return perhaps this away time will help, use marker for beginning, I use think to have cleaner knitting I should knit tight, but especially in stranded this never worked, tension, a consistent tension is an on going issue for me
If you have a moment I would suggest viewing Liat from knitfreedom dot com
Don’t give up, you can do this, I mean look how far you have come, I for one believe in you
Take your time and stick with this you will and can do it
Thanks for your encouragement. I had to walk away for now because I was trying to knit too tight maybe. I will try again with another project. I’ll watch that video.