Knitting in the round... legs???

[twouglyducks]

Okay... I'm just learning to knit. I watched a cast on, knit, and purl video on line. I've figured out how to knit in the round (JUST knit LOL). Now I'm confused... I'm not following a pattern (Don't ask... I know I"m not that bright at times) and I'm wondering what I will do once I get to where the leg holes will be. I mean, I was thinking I'd just stop knitting halfway through the round and start going back and forth using the same needles (I'm planning on doing the bottom part ribbed). Then I got to thinking that that would leave the second half of the soaker top still on the circs. I've never cast off before, or seen it done... but would I need to cast off one half and then do the ribbed part. Then fold it to the front and attach it? Am i making any sense at ALL??? :lookroun: :? :? :blah :blah

[pamelamama]

http://www.fernandfaerie.com/freesoakerpattern.html

fern and faerie free soaker pattern.

read and learn, girlfriend. xoxo

you can leave the front stitches on the cable and graft them with your crotch later, as in my pattern, or you can put them on a holder or bind them off as f&f explains.

[twouglyducks]

Yikes.... :eek :hide Learn??? I don't want double point needles and I don't know how to use a crochet hook. :lol:
I am so confused :? right now.... Like, what is knitting on? I so need to get to the library ASAP!

[pamelamama]

yek, i never use dpns if I can avoid it.

hmmm... sounds like someone needs to sign up for a soaker knitting online class :brow

[twouglyducks]

I would love to sign up for your class, but simply can't afford it right now. :oops: :( But maybe in a few months we'll be caught up and I can join the fun. :D

[pmcgary]

if you can find a real yarn store - befriend those ladies and spend a little on their yarn ....then ask them for help. Most of the ladies in our yarn stores around here are more than willing to help out. The one store has a sign that you must buy all their stuff from them to get help, but she told me how I could adjust the sizing of a sweater- that I bought nothing for except perhaps a pair of needles.

Or save your pennies for Pamela's class. At least then you are in the company of others trying to figure it all out together...working on the same pattern and such!! I am so exited to see a class in action. Now just to find the right yarn...and that my dd doesn't potty train before I finish. I have visions of her wearing the soaker once and then using the potty every time. But I suppose that would be a small price to pay! :lol:

[twouglyducks]

I have looked here for a yarn store and come up empty handed. I will try the sewing stores though, just in case. What have I got to lose???

[lifetapestry]

Hey, good for you for being able to cast on and knit in the round all by yourself and for your bravery of not using a pattern.

However, doing the legs for a soaker really does require following a pattern, because you are going to have to "decrease" (i.e. make your knitted fabric smaller and you are going to have to figure out how to not knit some of the stitches (i.e. you want to continue knitting the back and then bring the smaller piece up in the front, as the F&F free pattern shows.

It's actually a lot less complicated to turn what you're knitting into soaker shorts (you could make just teeny legs so it would essentially be a soaker). All you need to do then is knit until you reach what would be the crotch (i.e. the rise is right for you), then "cast off" half your stitches onto double points. What I mean by cast off is to knit normally, but rather than putting the knitted stitch on your right needle, put it onto the double points (e.g. if you have 30 stitches, put 10 stitches on 3 needles).

I'm actually a d.p. needle lover-- I like how you knit in the round just like with circulars. It is a bit awkward at first but you get the hang of it pretty rapidly. I feel like a very skilled knitter when I use d.p.'s.

Karla

[twouglyducks]

So, dpn's are a set of 3 big toothpick looking things, right? Seems like it would be easy to drop lots of stitches. Think I'm going to shower now and hope I can get to the library today. :bighug <--I know that's supposed to be a hug, but it's how I start to feel when I'm trying to learn all this stuff. :boggled :boggled :goodgrief

[lifetapestry]

Hey Davina,

I know the feeling. Just take everything one step at a time. I've only been knittting for a few months, and I have to remind myself that this is a learning process.

DPN's come in sets of five. You can knit with either 4 or 5, meaning that you have your stitches cast over either 3 or 4 needles, and then the last needle is your working needle. I started with using 3 needles to knit, then switched to 4 (the advantage is that 4 needles knit up a bit more neatly because there is less pull on them than with three).

To keep yourself from dropping stitches, you can put a needle protector (you know, those rubber tip things) over one end of the needle while you're knitting. But after you use DPN's for a bit, you won't need them anymore.

HTH,
Karla