"Pulling cable out from between stitches" when knitting in the round?

TrueIconoclast · 01-21-2011, 02:34 PM

Hello everyone. So, I've officially added knitting in the round on circular needles to my list of knitting skills (and I'm LOVING IT!!!!!). I am working on a hat for my first "in the round" project. It is a very very very simple hat - in fact, it's not a pattern, but an eHow.com article about how to improvise a basic hat without a pattern.

So here's my question - it says that after I've begun decreasing and there are too few stitches on the cable to work with, I can either switch to DPN's, or I can "pull the cable from between the stitches". Since I am still new to circulars, I really would like to avoid DPN's. So how would I pull the cable from between the stitches? Here is the article:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4498269_simp...g-needles.html
The information I am talking about is step #6 in the article. I am using U.S. size 10 16" bamboo circulars. If I absolutely must switch to DPN's, that's fine, but if I don't have to, that would be great as well lol.

Thanks in advance everyone!

TrueIconoclast · 01-21-2011, 07:36 PM

Don't know if this will make a difference at all, but I'm also using 5/Bulky weight yarn (Sensations Rainbow Classic brushed yarn) - I bought the needles that I did because it was the recommended size for the yarn, and because I knew the gauge would be pretty much spot on.

yarnrainbow · 01-21-2011, 08:11 PM

I believe what the article is referring to by "pull the cable from between the stitches" is a technique of doing small diameter circular knitting called Magic Loop. This technique enables you to use one circular needle instead DPNs. There is a video demonstrating the Magic Loop technique on this site that is excellent.

FYI...there is another technique for small diameter circular knitting where you use two circular needles instead of DPNs. There is also a video on this site demonstrating this technique.

Click here to go to the page that lists the videos for circular knitting. Scroll down until you see the heading Small Diameter Circular Knitting. Listed below that are all the videos you'll need. I'd suggest looking at all the videos and trying all the techniques until you find the one that works best for you. I've done DPNs (never again...it's like holding a handful of porcupines!), magic loop (easy), and two circs (really easy...even when the joints are hurting). Good luck!

Mokumegane · 01-21-2011, 08:12 PM

I think they're talking about the flexible, cable-ish part of the needle... pull on it from between some stitches so that it shortens it kind of... but you'd have to always be re-situating that part of the needle, actually. It might be awkward and hard to keep your tension correct. You can try that but I'm thinking this may also be a good project to start using dpn's, at least for a little bit. Dpn's are great for smaller things... I like the circular needles but when things get small, I just switch to dpn's. Don't worry if there's a little gapping on the dpn's, if that's the route you take... because the needles are straight, it does that a little but when you get the work away from the needles, it looks fine. As long as you keep your tension correct, you should have no problems with dpn's. Also, make sure it's fairly evenly distributed on the needles if you go with dpn's. You may have an odd number, where one or two or so of them will have more than another.... can't get around that... but don't have fifteen on one and eight on another...

Lol, well, nvm, rainbow answered it. I traditionally switch to dpn's but that's how I was taught... oh and it's not a handful of porcupines unless the needles are REALLY small... then it really is porcupines!

suzeeq · 01-21-2011, 08:25 PM

It's explaining how to do single loop or magic loop where you can use a longer needle to knit a small amount of sts.

TrueIconoclast · 01-21-2011, 09:00 PM

Thank you everyone! When I get back home today, I think I will try the magic loop method first, just because I don't actually have DPN's at this point (although Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts is literally right across the street). If that doesn't work, then I'll take a 30 second walk and go get some DPN's.

And to avoid the handful of porcupines, I'll get the longer DPN's as suggested lol.

Thank you for all of your help everyone!!!!