Knitting with dpn's

[nothernexposure]

Lovely MN knitters, how do you avoid getting 'lines' when you knit with dpn's? I'm attempting to knit a hat with dpns rather than traditional needles and I can't work out how to avoid the change in tension when I swap needles. I've tried holding the needles at funny angles, knitting the first few stiches on the 'old' needle and then swapping them to the new but nothing seems to work. Has anyone got any advice on how to avoid this? Thanks.

I do the same. I pull the yarn very tight until I have the second stitch completed on the new needle.

Yup, pull it much tighter than you think you should!

I avoid dpns and use small circular needles to join in the round, or magic loop on a large circular needle. I cannot get on with dpns, I've really tried, but we're not meant to be!

Its partly to do with how your needles are relative to each other. Such that the strand of yarn isn't forced to be wound halfway round the old needle to get to the first new stitch. I have it such that the new needle is on top of the old one when I make that first stitch, pull it good and tight. It's worth trying a circular needle option but because of how I hold my needles they give me cramps trying to hold such a tiny thing in my fingertips.
pic from here

Quite often irregularities in tension are much improved after the first wash.

I've just looked up the magic loop technique and omg I am never using dpns again, thanks Snow!

You're welcome ria, its brilliant AND you can two-at-a-time using magic loop for sleeves, socks, mittens etc.....