i apologize for asking a million and one questions about socks and related knitting woes.
that said…how tight should stitches be on dpns? i was having problems with loose ladders, so i tightened my stitched [I]way[/I] up. but now they are [B]so[/B] tight i can barely move them up and down my (bamboo) needles. i have to use much force. and i fear they will either break from that [I]or[/I] from frustration. :??
suggestions are much appreciated! 
Hi,
Its hard to say (at least for me). I tend to use metal or circular needles, after having one needle to many break on me. I usually (as stated in other sources) give a bit of a tug to the yarn before I continue knitting along the needle. You don’t want your work to be so tight it is difficult to knit or situate the needles comfortably; usually, after the first few rows the ladders often smooth themselves out if the tension is nice and even. This is one of the cases of practice and trial and error.
so needles really [I]do[/I] break. i think i’ll order a pair of metal needles for the next pair.
thanks!
Yes, needles break. Usually with me it has been the smaller size needles ( 1s, 2s, etc.). Personally, I find that more traumatizing than a dropped stitch. First time it happened all I could do was stare. :shock: :pout:
haha! that’s all i could do the other night when i dropped a stitch. my husband started talking and i screamed, ‘no talking! i just dropped a stitch!’ i stared for awhile, too. and declared a moment of silence for the lost stitch. :shock::rollseyes:
I find I knit tighter on dps than I do on regular flat work, sometimes I have to go up a needle size to maintain the same gauge. But I understand some people do just the opposite.
If you tighten way up you are going to change the gauge you are supposed to be working at. Try to find needles that will give you gauge without having to knit so tight it is a struggle. You will hurt your hands over a lifetime of that kind of stressful knitting. 
Just tighten up on the first stitch on the needle, and even then it doesn’t have to be super tight. I have heard that, at least if you are using wool, a bit of laddering with come out in the wash. Don’t worry, be happy… and relaxed.