Suggestions Needed. Please!

[CreativeCreature]

Okay. So I bought my first set of DPNs yesterday. I want to make something with them but I've never used DPNs and I'm really intimidated by them. I am a very new knitter but I pick up new things pretty quickly.

I am looking for something VERY (very, very, very) easy to make using US size 7 DPNs. I bought that size as a jumping off point. I will eventually get a set in every size but my first set is a size 7, chosen randomly.

Not sure if I'm up for socks just yet either. Unless there is a beyond easy pattern for socks, o' course! I'm thinking maybe a hat?? I live in SE North Carolina so I don't really need hats or scarfs but almost all of my relatives live in cold temp states. (I even have a sister who lives in Saskatchewan, Canada!) So I can make and send off any hats we don't use. I know, way too much info. LOL

SO!! Suggest away!! And thank you!!

[Stiney]

Definitely a hat! Hats are easy and fast. Try knitty or knittingpatterncentral.com for ideas.

[Ingrid]

The best way to learn to use dpns, is, indeed, a hat. Especially if it's one you start on a circular needle and then transfer to dpns when there are too few stitches for the circ.

The hardest part of dpns is starting with them. If you have a chance to practice and see how they work first, it makes the whole process easier.

[nonny2t]

Yep, a hat is what you should go for! I mean, a hat is naturally round, right!! If you make it, it doesn't fit anyone you know, donate to charity!!! You can DO THIS!!!!

[Momma_Jo]

Leg warmers? Easier than socks, and fashionable this season.

But I feel ya, I'm practically done with my sweater, all I have left to do is finish the turtleneck-style collar...which is done on DPNs! This will be my first time using them. *shudder*

Oh yeah, and not only do I have to knit on DPNs, but there are also tiny 1-stitch cables there...*shudder again*

[Calamintha]

Wristwarmers are probably the simplest thing to do. Hats are good if you have a circular needle in the right size that's a 16" length. For wristwarmers you can just figure how many stitches to cast on for the circumference of your wrist by doing a swatch for gauge. You can do the whole thing in a k2, p2 rib and just bind off when it's the length you want.

[CreativeCreature]

Thanks. I'm leaning towards a hat. I have tons of nieces and nephews I could make them for.
Not sure anyone I know would use leg warmers. I didn't think they were cool back in the 80's, never mind now! LOL And I have no clue when I'd ever use a wrist warmer. Never seen one actually. heh

But thanks for the suggestions. I'm always open for more and patterns you've tried and found rather simple (keeping in mind I'm inexperienced).

[MrTea]

Once you get those first two rounds out of the way, it's smooth sailing from there. Don't get discoraged or be intimidated, it's easy once you get the hang of it. I think you will enjoy it a lot.

Don't forget to pull a little bit tighter (but not too tight) on the second stitch of each needle to hide any ladders that might form.

Also, don't forget to relax. This is very important. Knitting too tight just makes life difficult for yourself, especially with DPNs. You'll see.

[HamburgKnitter]

Mandi, I'm also a new knitter, and I just knit a hat on the weekend, with DPNs. This was the pattern I used:

http://tiajudy.com/simplestcap.htm

I started it up once, totally messed it up, then started it over again. The second time was smooth sailing, so obviously the practice try did the trick. So relax when you first give it a try and don't worry if it doesn't work out right away.

I followed very sound advice that I got on this forum: when you start knitting, instead of ending each needle in the same place, knit two stitches further from the next needle. This will avoid those stretched-out stitches (known as ladders) between the needles. This means that you need to carry a stitch marker with you so that you know where the start of the row is. I don't even own a stitch market yet, so I just used a small safety pin. I also gave the first couple of stitches on each needle an extra tug.

The first two rows took me several hours of fiddling around with the DPNs. Then I got the hang of it, and the rest of the hat took me about two hours. It was actually very easy!

[moon]

A felted bowl is another idea. Plus it's felted so it would hide any mistakes. I love making those things. I have so many I don't know what to do with. I even made one for my car. It matches the interior.