Help using DPN's for the sleeve on a top down coat

[naemsmommy]

Hi there,

I am knitting a coat from the top down. You put the sleeve stitches onto holders and then continue the body of the coat. Later you go back and pick up the sleeve stitches and use DPN's to knit the sleeve. Here are the pattern instructions:

Slip the sleeve sts onto 2 of the larger size double point needles. Using a third double point needle, with the right side of work facing you, join yarn to right edge of armhole and pick up 8 stitches across the armhole, placing a marker after St 4. This marker is the beginning of the round.

What is confusing me is that after I pick up the 8 stitches, my working yarn is at the 8th stitch. I do not understand how I get the working yarn back to the marker at the 4th stitch where I am supposed to begin the round. I know it is probably a simple solution, but I just can't figure it out! Can anyone help me?

Thank you!
Danielle

[Jan in CA]

I just start with a new yarn and go all the way around. That way the yarn is there just like when you're normally knitting. Is that what you mean?

[naemsmommy]

Ah, so I would just cut off the working yarn that I used to pick up the stitches and just start again at the marker? That does make sense

[Jan in CA]

If you put the stitches on holders there should be either no yarn when you start to pick them up. You would just continue picking up after the first time. At least that is the way I remember it.

Could you be picking them incorrectly?

[naemsmommy]

Hmmm now I am confused again sigh...

Here is a pic of what I have done. This isn't actually my pic, but it is the directions from the maker of the pattern:

http://www.knittingpureandsimple.com/knit_along_050.jpg

So in that picture, they show the stitches in the process of being picked up. Once they are all picked up along the bottom, the yarn will be at the left side of the underarm right? But according to the pattern, my round needs to start at the center of the underarm. I just don't know how to get the yarn from the left side back to the center to start the round at the 4th stitch.

[Jan in CA]

Okay, in that case you could start picking up from the middle of the underarm, go all the way around and then when you end you'll be in the middle where need to be.

Another thought - I like to have my decreases in the middle of one needle because it leaves less of a gap. So you could put the stitches that are on the thread on two needles (or 3 depending on your method) then pick up the underarm stitches placing your marker after the 4th stitch.

Try not to over think it. You just need to get all those stitches on the needles. If you have to knit a row to make it work out don't worry about it. One extra row in the whole scheme of things isn't important.

[naemsmommy]

Lol, I did exactly what you said in the second paragraph, but that is where the problem is for me! I can't figure out how to start knitting after stitch 4 instead of after stitch 8. I probably am overthinking it but I am still completely stumped :(

For the first thing you said, do you mean I should pick up 4 stitches, then knit around the other stitches on the other two needles, then pick up the other 4 stitches under the arm? Wouldn't that make the sleeve uneven because I would be short a row under the arm?

[Jan in CA]

Well, as I said one row is not a big deal. As for the stitches under the arm since those seem to be the hard ones for you.. Just pick up 4, place a marker, then pick up the other 4. The working yarn comes with you. I wish I had a sweater in progress so I could show you..

[Plantgoddess+]

I would just pick up the 8 stitches and continue to knit around the stitches on the holder and then the first 4 stitches you picked up and call that a row. It will not make a noticeable difference that the first 4 stitches get knit one extra time. Then continue to follow the pattern as written.

[naemsmommy]

OK, I will try that, thanks. Now if I can just figure out how to actually use double point needles I will be doing good lol.