BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting Knitting abbreviation help

I am new knitter and am about to start my first project-an afghan. There is an abbreviation I can't figure out. The instructions are as follows: Work right crssover on 6 sts as follows: slip 3 sts to dp needle and hold in back of work, k3 from dp needle. What does dp needle stand for? The abbreviations given with the pattern don't say. Thanks.

I sounds like you are doing a cable stitch, and DP stands for double pointed needle.

Let me know if that makes sense

Thanks. I don't know what a double pointed needle is, but I'll find out. It's not the same as a circular needle is it? I assuming double pointed means there is a point on each end of the needle. Which end do I use? The instructions called for size 5 knitting needles which is what I bought.

You can certainly use a circular needle, or a cable needle too, just something that you can knit off of both sides. In a cable you pull off some of the stitches, and hold them in the front or the back of your work depending on what the pattern calls for. Then instead of slipping the stitches back on the left hand needle (which you can do instead), you just knit off of the double pointed, circular or cable needle without twisting the stitches.

Thanks for your help. I'll get some circular needles and give try it.

Good luck and let me know if you have any challenges or need anything at all.