cables

[zats_clear]

 Ok, my lovelies, I have decided to try out dpns and make myself up a pair of fingerless gloves.  After MUCH searching, I found a pattern that fits the bill for my very first pair (oh Ravelry, how many hours I spend with thee), Hope's Fingerless Gloves (lookie, I put in a link for the non-Ravelry crowd, you odd people!) and set to work.

Using the dpns was like driving a clown car full of puppies but I did get the hang of it and the stitches settled down after the first few rows and then...I began to cable.  I like to learn at least two new tricks per project or I am an martyr.  The second row, I noticed that my cabled stitches were abominably tight so I have questions.

Should I be knitting fairly loosely when I cable?  Is it really supposed to hurt this much?

I will fess up that I am using number 6 needles for a project calling for 8's but when I pulled it off the needles, the cuff fit nicely with some excellent stretch and I have small hands.  And for those who like to know these things,  I am using Mirasol Akapana for my yarn.

thanks in advance!

Comments

[tephra]

When I first started knitting cables without a cable needle they ended up very tight. I think it was mostly because I was subconsciously tense about dropping stitches and as a result was knitting my cables tighter than my regular knitting. Once I realized that and consciously made myself knit the cables loosely (therefore making them match my normal tension) it cleared up. Now I don't have the problem.

That said, I'm still a tight-ish knitter and I don't know how anyone can do more than maybe 4 stitches over 4 stitches without having an ungodly tight cable.