stitch marker question

[cara]

Hi all,

I think that this question is so dumb, and the answer is probably staring me in the face...but I'm not getting it!

I'm starting my first pair of socks and right at the beginning it says to divide my cast on stitches to 4 needles and place a stitch marker between the 4th and 1st needle to mark the beginning of my round. Well, on a circular needle (for all the hats I've done) it is easy, but when I put it on the end of a dpn, it obviously just rolls right off. So I figured I would just stager my stitches by 1 stitch all the way around thus holding the marker on 1 stitch into the round...but that doesn 't work for the socks because of the heel shaping and where that lands on the 4 needles...tHey have to be divided evenly from the first stitch!

gosh I feel like I am complicating the simplest thing!!!!!!!!


Also, this sock pattern says to work the ankle however I want for the desired length (how high I want the socks)... I was thinking that K2 P2 rib would be a great way to do my first pair.. then maybe I'll get brave and do some cables or lace for my second? hehe.

[brendajos]

honestly i rarely use markers on DPNs unless they are going to be in the middle of the needle. To mark the beginning of the round I just use the tail.

k2p2 is a great way to go!

[five_six]

yep the tail is the way to go - that's all i ever use, on straights, circs, whatever... also use it to tell me which is my right side.

[sara_jayne]

Cara -

I do use stitch markers when I use DPNs. What I do is just knit one stitch off the first needle and then place the marker and then continue knitting down the needle. Sure, it isn't on the first stitch, but now I know which needle is the first needle. When knitting socks the tail can get lost (for me!) so this helps me greatly!

[mshelton]

I also put the marker between the first and second stitch. But sometimes I use a minature clothesline paper clip or a binder paper clip to just mark needle one ( and if I'm counting rows)- I have to move the paper clip so I remember to change my row counter.