Moving my stitches to DPN's

[LuvJAH]

Ok, so I've gotten to the point in my instructions where it asks me to divide sts between 3 dpns (32 sts on each). I'm not really sure how to do this. Do I just slip the stitches onto the needles?

OK - so once I figure that out my next instructions are:

Dec rnd 1: K2, p2, k1, k2tog, k2tog, ............

So once I have my stitches on the needles how exactly do I got about continuing to knit. How do I know which way to knit? So when I'm knitting I'll be moving stitches from one needle to the next, right? I'm trying to imagine how this is going to work.

[Ingrid]

Some people knit directly onto the dpns, I prefer to slip them--it's just so much easier.

If you look at Amy's videos on using the dpns, you'll see what's what.

After you get your stitches on there, one of the needles will have the working yarn at the right tip. That's where you start. Use the empty dpn and knit with that. The stitches will be transferred from the first full dpn to the empty one. The needle you knit off of will now be empty, so you rotate your work and move to the needle to the left. Your yarn will be at the left end of the needle you just knit to, so when you wrap that first stitch, pull it so the needles touch to keep that join as tight as possible.

[LuvJAH]

Wow, thanks! Oh, so I'll always have one needle (the 4th) that won't have any work on it. I'm going to re-read that really slow. :-)

One more question. Does it matter where I start with slipping the stitches onto the dpn? I'm working on circulars?

[LuvJAH]

Oh, and that vidoe was very helpful. Thanks! :D

[Ingrid]

I never really thought about that. I usually just start slipping from the beginning of the round, and then continue in that direction. Slip as if to purl so you don't twist your stitches. If you do them in order, it will be easier to keep track of where you are.

And yes, as each needle becomes empty, it becomes the needle you work with.