Learn to Knit III - Striped, Ribbed Cup Cozy

[Shandeh]

I am having a problem? I think. Is my work supposed to look like it is going upside down? No matter what I do I can't seem to get it to go 'under' my needles. This feels all kinds of wrong but not sure if it is right and I am not used to it. The 'v' side is on the outside, but the work is coming towards me, not away (or under) like I expect it would - photo attached
Also, how do you keep the beginning and end stitches tight enough?

Do you knit left-handed?

Here's how I usually describe circular knitting to my students:

Imagine that the circle of knitting is the top of a cup. You should be working at the spot where you would be sipping from. This way, the right side of the project will be on the outside, flowing down from your needles.

If you try to knit on the opposite side of the "cup", your project will be worked inside out.


To keep the stitches even, just pull the stitches a little tighter when changing to the next needle.

I hope this helps.

[Kaleigh]

If you try to knit on the opposite side of the "cup", your project will be worked inside out.

To keep the stitches even, just pull the stitches a little tighter when changing to the next needle.

I hope this helps.

The first time I knit on DPNs, I was about 2.5" into my first sock when my coworkers said "... you're knitting from the inside out!" Oops.

As for ladders (the gaps in between needles), there are another couple of options to avoid them. One is to always change where the needles meet. If on the next round you slip two stitches onto the left from the right, the ladder won't have a chance to form. I find this technique disorienting because I can never quite remember which extra stitches went where, but many knitters prefer it.

The other way to avoid ladders is to embrace them! If the item is machine washable, throw it in the washer when it's done. The agitation from the washing machine will even out the stitches. I've never tried this, but some members of the Design Studio staff swear by it!

[karenarp]

Thanks for the replies. I did find the further up the project I went the less 'gap' I collected between needles - and once the project was off the needles I couldn't see the gaps at all.
Thanks Shandeh for the explanation. Turns out I was doing it right according to your description. Loved it, made it very easy to visualize. I was worried cuz every time I saw a photo of work in progress the person must flip it over to take it, but since I didn't know this I thought I was the one upside down!

[Shandeh]

If you try to knit on the opposite side of the "cup", your project will be worked inside out.

The first time I knit on DPNs, I was about 2.5" into my first sock when my coworkers said "... you're knitting from the inside out!" Oops.

Ha! I've known several knitters who still continue to knit "inside-out". They don't mind it, and when the project is finished, they just turn it right side out. I've even heard that this is the preferred method for Fair-Isle knitting, because it keeps the floats on the outside of the project, making it easier to keep them loose.

[tjwjlove]

I finished my 2nd Sock Cup Cozy. I enjoyed this one and feel much better on how to handle the dpn's.

05-29-12_185 by tjnllike, on Flickr

[Shandeh]

Oh yay! It's so good to hear that you are comfortable with dpns now!

[Shandeh]

I made my cup cozy last night, and finished it up today at my local knitting group get-together.
Made some videos of every step, and will be posting them soon.

I decided to make the entire project with K2,P2 ribbing throughout, so the ribs would be consistent from bottom to top. I wonder if it was a mistake in the pattern, when it said to do K2,P1 ribbing after the color changes?

[pawpawtrys2]

Learning to use the dpn's. I don't always have a lot of time to spend on knitting, but I enjoy trying and won't give up. I'm still working on the Cup Cozy.

06-03-12_104 by tjnllike, on Flickr

[Shandeh]

8-) Learning to use the dpn's. I don't always have a lot of time to spend on knitting, but I enjoy trying and won't give up. I'm still working on the Cup Cozy.

06-03-12_104 by tjnllike, on Flickr

Look at you! You are already diving in to working with dpns!

[Shandeh]

Here's my finished cup cozy. As I mentioned before, I changed the pattern, so that the ribbing is K2, P2 all the way through. I think it looks better like this. I will ask Bernat about the K2, P1 thing.


Cozy Complete by Shandeh, on Flickr