frustrated with gaps in knitting with dpns, help??

[mehlhouse]

Is there a trick to preventing gaps when knitting with dpns or even with two circular needles to knit in small rounds??
Hopefully somebody has an idea!

Thanks =]

[suzeeq]

You can move the needles over by one or two stitches so they're not in the same place all the time. When you knit all the sts off a needle, continue on and do a couple more on the next needle, then switch for your empty one. It's not so bad that way, and blocking or washing will help even out the ladders, as they're called.

[boyforpele13]

i use sue's trick and another one i saw on one of the Knitty Gritty's with Annie Modesitt. She recommends on the second stitch of each needle placing the needle in, either to K or P, whichever the pattern calls for, but before working that stitch, giving the working yarn a really good tug. That has worked REALLY well for me.

[cheley]

You can move the needles over by one or two stitches so they're not in the same place all the time. When you knit all the sts off a needle, continue on and do a couple more on the next needle, then switch for your empty one. It's not so bad that way, and blocking or washing will help even out the ladders, as they're called. Hi Suzeeq:muah:I have tried this technique, but, I watched a tut by Vickie Howell and she always does the first st thru the back loop...I tried that and it seems to work, also I always tug the second st too...
but I don't know (not smart enough:knitting:) to figure out if this (back loop thing) is only o.k for ribbing...what do you think???:hug:

[Yarnlady]

I tug and rotate. Knit the next two sts off the next needle and then start with the empty needle. If you have a marker at the beginning of the round you'll always be able to rearrange your sts on the needles if you need to.

When I start knitting with the empty needle, I knit the first st, insert the needle into the second st and give a tug to tighten up the last couple sts, and then finish that st. Knit to the end and repeat.

[Arielluria]

Is there a trick to preventing gaps when knitting with dpns or even with two circular needles to knit in small rounds??
Hopefully somebody has an idea!

Thanks =]Make the FIRST stitch of the FIRST row with the tail of your C.O., then you can just pull on the tail to tighten it later. It stays put after a couple of rows.

As far as for other rows, I just do the first 2 stitches of the next needle extra tight, the tension evens out by itself. ;)

[suzeeq]

Hi Suzeeq:muah:I have tried this technique, but, I watched a tut by Vickie Howell and she always does the first st thru the back loop...I tried that and it seems to work, also I always tug the second st too...

On every needle, or just the first one when you join? If you do that on every needle, every row, you're going to have a line of twisted sts. My advice was for after you've joined when the yarn can be loose between the needles on every round. Which is what I thought mehlhouse was asking about, not the first join.

[cheley]

On every needle, or just the first one when you join? If you do that on every needle, every row, you're going to have a line of twisted sts. My advice was for after you've joined when the yarn can be loose between the needles on every round. Which is what I thought mehlhouse was asking about, not the first join.
Yep I was doing that on every needle, every one!!! So I thought the "line of twisted stock st was O.k. ( to be expected) So when Is the b/loop join used? I must have really misunderstood that tut....:doh:

[suzeeq]

Backward loop join? Huh? I don't know anything about that....

[cheley]

Backward loop join? Huh? I don't know anything about that.... not b/loop join...sorry Inserting needle thru the back of the stitch to join the first stitch....:hug:

[suzeeq]

Still don't quit understand. Knitting through the back loop, yes, but doing a join that way? How do you do it?

[krazy4kats]

You just knit the first stitch of the first round through the back loop, it twists it and (supposedly) makes a tighter join.

I think the switching of the last stitch with the first stitch and casting on an extra stitch and K2 tog to join are more common, but I've also seen where you can just thread your tail through the end stitch and start knitting, giving you a tighter start.

[suzeeq]

I see; twisting the first st may tighten it up some, but I think switching sts or CO an extra st are pretty good. I may try the twist next round thing I do.

[simplethings]

I usually just pull the next stitch, and the stitch after on the new needle REALLY REALLY tight.
When I knit with DPNs I notice that I knit a whole lot tighter to prevent gaps and other weirdness.

[boyforpele13]

the part about the back loop with the tail i have found called "meg's jogless join" and is one that i always employ and it works wonders for socks and such. it is only done on the initial join into the round, you knit that first joining stitch through the back loop with the tail instead of the working yarn and then when you knit that first stitch on the 2nd round, you tug the tail and it REALLY brings everything together, and also doubles as your EOR marker.

[mehlhouse]

thank you all so much! I think I've got the hang of it now.

right now, I'm just pulling everything a little tighter, but I might have to try the through the back loop or the twisted methods sometime.

=]

[boyforpele13]

i can't believe i failed to mention this earlier, but just FYI, magic loop knitting, as well as 2-circular knitting eliminated all gaps for me completely, i never have ladders at all. just something to consider! :)