dpns...again

[KatyKoolkat]

When I am using my dpns, and my pattern says to leave the last nine stitches-pull the needle out-pull the yarn through, would I still follow that or would i bind off?

Thanks for your patience in answering my questions.
Katy

[HeatherFeather]

what are you making?

When I do what you said the directions say, I slip off one by one onto a threaded tapestry needle, and then pull tight...but it depends on what you are making too..I really try NOT to have live stitches if at all possible...i'm clumsy that way...

[KatyKoolkat]

HI Heather:
I am making a hat (and some matching booties and a blanket) for the NICU in Calgary. I wanted to start learning on dpns so that it owuld hopefully go a little faster.

I was hoping that I could bind off and that it would look neater, but we will see.

Thanks
katy

[HeatherFeather]

what it will do is pull it all into a nice tidy tight little circle!!! it'll look OK...I promise!! I think that if you bind off, you'll have a big ole hole...

think of it as a draw string...someone somewhere said that they do that closure with a double thickness of yarn, so that if one breaks, the other will hold everything together!!!

hope i haven't confused you more!!

[Sara]

You're trying to close the top of a hat, Katy? If so, do what the pattern says- pull the yarn through the stitches and draw it tight. That's how the hat closes on the top.

[KellyK]

someone somewhere said that they do that closure with a double thickness of yarn, so that if one breaks, the other will hold everything together!!!

Ive also seen people say to draw it through TWICE. I thought that sounded like a GREAT idea.

Here's a pic of what the top of a hat will look like after you've drawn the yarn through & pulled it tight....

[KatyKoolkat]

Thanks everyone! I tried dpns and HATED them!! I can't seem to get the hang of it, so I will leave it for now and move on. Maybe a later project for when I am feeling more confident.

katy

[Rennagayle]

Katy, how long did you give it before you gave up on the dpn's? The reason I ask is because I felt the very same way. In fact, as I was fumbling with what felt like an anorexic octopus, I began to suspect everyone here of being in on some really big joke, telling us all that dpn's are loads of fun, blah blah blah, and rubbing their hands together in evil anticipation of what they were doing to the minds of us ready to launch out and try them. I thought to myself as I was fumbling those needles, "yeah, sure, this is FUN all right!

I was all set to throw the things in the trash, but determined I'd carefully follow through the instructions for at least 30 minutes. By the time 30 minutes had passed, I'd somewhat began feeling comfortable with the dpn's, but my so called sock looked so wonky that I decided to just frog it and forget it.

Then I thought to myself, "well, since I'm going to frog it anyway, it won't hurt to just work on it a little more, just to get the hang of this before I give up, and so, I continued. That was Friday night. I continued to work on it yesterday and now have nearly completed the "cuff" part of the sock. I am THRILLED with myself!

Honestly, I was soooo very close to tossing those dpn's, but I just decided to stick with it, and now I am totally comfortable with them. I promise you, it does get better!

[KatyKoolkat]

I have to admit, rennygale, your post made me laugh!! I feel exactly like I am dealing with an anorexic octopus.....but I think the thing that made me give up so easily is that I dropped stitches, and I couldn't pick them back up as easily as I can on straight needles.

Oh well, back to the drawing board!

Katy

[KnittingMom]

Don't give up on the DPN's. You feel like a completely uncoordinated idiot when you first use them but you definitely get the hang of it. I personallyLOVE knitting on them now.