I don't understand "joining" on DPNs. Help, pleas

[Darhain]

I think I have cast on about fifteen times for these socks. This is the first time I've used DPNs and I just don't get it. I'm supposed to knit my first stitch in the first stitch I cast on, right? But my working yarn is way over there on the last needle coming from the last stitch I cast on. So how am I supposed to use it in my first stitch?

I was literally crying over this last night, I was so pissed off! :rollseyes: I have a nasty cold and I'm muddle-headed as a result, so that doesn't help, but I was just so freakin' frustrated! I would make sure my stitches weren't twisted right after I divided, but then I'd knit off the first needle, and things would be totally twisted up. ARGH!

I keep re-watching Amy's video on small circumfrence knitting, but it's just not making any sense to me. What am I doing wrong?

[Ingrid]

I really pull the yarn tight for that first stitch--make sure the needles are touching.

Have you looked at Silver's sock tutorial? There might be something there that can help.

[Mer]

Have you looked at Silver's sock class? It has good pictures of the join. You may have to flip the needles around to get the working yarn on your right hand needle and then you use that to knit the first needle on the left. Her pictures probably explain it better than me.

[Mer]

Oops, ingrid beat me to it!

[knitqueen]

Sorry that you're having such a rough go at it.

Have you done large diameter circular knitting before? If so, it's the exact same thing....you will start with the first stitch you cast on as your first stitch on the left needle (you're right on that) and arrange your needles so that the working yarn is coming from the LAST stitch that will be worked on the first round. So the working yarn is on the needle directly to the right of the one you are going to start working on.

It sounds all good in theory but to actually do it can be tricky. I remember the first time I attempted dpns I had the same difficulty getting going. Really, if you can figure out that first round it DOES get easier as you go and things tighten up and the stitches tend to belond where they're supposed to a lot better.

Good luck.

[gardenmommy]

http://www.knittingnow.com/patterns/ssockspat.asp

This one also has a good description of how to do join and avoid a jog.

Do you have all your cast on stitches?

Do you have them distributed among your needles (are you on 3)?

Are you sure there are no twists?

If so. the middle needle (for the start) will be the flat part of the triangle you will make with the needles. The needle on the left slanting toward you will be the one with the first stitch you cast on, and the needle slanting toward you on the right with the working yarn will have the last stitch you cast on (assuming you did long tail cast on). Sorta like this...ignore the dots, they just help the picture line up.

................................. _______
.................................. \.......... /
....................................\........ /
.....................................\...... /
......................................\... /~~~~~~
............................First CO....Last CO with working yarn

You then take your fourth empty needle and using the working yarn knit through the first CO stitch on the left needle. The site above has you knitting into the back of the first stitch with your tail and then with your working yarn starting the round (I'm kind of assuming you'd then knit into the front of the first stitch then with your working yarn...Kelly K used this pattern, she might have some advice on it).

Hope that helps a bit. What size needles & yarn are you using? It might be easier at first once you get the hang of it to use a larger DPN and heavier yarn.

[KristiMetz]

In order to start knitting (assuming I'm doing it correctly), after I cast and split the stitches between the DPN's, I do this (this only works if you're a continental knitter):

1. Lay the DPN's in a triangle, with the first needle being the left side of the triangle, and the second needle being the right side.
2. Take the working yarn (hanging off the needle on the right side of the triangle) into your left hand (if you're a continental knitter).
3. Take the left needle (containing the first stitch) in your left hand
4. Take the needle which has no stitches on it in your right hand.

Now, you will use the new needle (with no stitches) to knit with.. insert it into the first stitch, and wrap the working yarn around it (I always wrap the first stitch). Since this yarn is still attached to the right side of the triangle, things will bounce around and be crazy for a minute. But if you can get those first few stitches knitted, it starts to make more sense.

Once you've done a few rounds, the work is easier to hold in place and the needles don't jog around so much.

Hope this helps.