Magic Loop

Knitting in the round is fun, but knitting on double pointed needles, also known as DPNs, is not so much fun, at least for me.   I have been wanting to learn the “magic loop” method that does away with the need for DPNs  and when my Great Great  Nephew Bryson was born I was inspired to learn this method.

You see Bryson was born ten weeks early and he only weighed 3.5 pounds.  I wanted to make him a teeny tiny hat. Well that required using DPNs.  Here is my first attempt. The stapler is in the picture to provide perspective.  I ended up with what knitters call “ladders” at the joining points from the DPNs. Laddering happens because there tends to be an  extra distance between the needles so the joining stitches aren't  as close and tidy as the other stitches on the needles.

Then I discovered that somewhere during the process a stitch had dropped off one of the DPNs. GRRRR. So My finished preemie hat had ladders, and a dropped stitch.

At that point I decided it was time to learn Magic Loop The Magic Loop according to Dummies.Com enables you to work projects of small circumference on one long circular.

I purchased a class from Liat at KnitFreedom. I know this is going to sound like a commercial but that’s okay.  The quality of Liat’s videos are very good, and her prices are reasonable too, and I learned how to knit using the Magic Loop method.  But there are a lot of free videos available on YouTube as well.

 

Here is a picture of the hat I made using the Magic Loop method and following Liat's instruction. No more laddering and no dropped stitches. Liat provides the pattern for free too, a nice bonus. We all like free stuff.

The yarn I'll be using for the preemie hat is  Comfy Fingering yarn from Knit Picks. I read someplace on the Internet that this is a good choice for preemie hats because the yarn is so soft. It is a 75% cotton and 25% Acrylic blend. And I can vouch for the softness factor.

The long circular needle I'll be using is a size 2 needle on a 47 Inch Cable. I purchased the needle from Knit Picks for a small price of $5 and a little change.

 

I have my yarn. I have my long circular needle. I’m ready to tackle the preemie hat again this time using Magic Loop. Stay tuned for an update.  My goal is a preemie hat suitable for gifting with no ladders and no dropped stitches.