You'll be fine just be patient...........but as I said Friday, when you get your strings and some paste etc.  I'll show you how to do it by watching you do it.  It's not hard to do but it does take you a bit until you get the hang of it.  You know how to get in touch so again feel free.

Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but a dulcimer capo placed on top of the fretboard and the strings down near the tail end of the dulcimer can hold the strings in place on the tail pins (and keep them from coming off the tail end pins) while you wind the other end around your wooden friction pegs.  Kind of like having a third hand keeping everything in position until things are tightened up.

Not yet, but it's coming...

Go to youtube and find Cripple Creek Lesson 1 by Cherokee Cowboy (Rob Lackey).  The first part of the video will be helpful.

Did you get some peg dope or compound?

Thanks everyone!  I've been trying to watch some YouTube vids, and most that I have found so far are for the geared tuners and not the friction pegs that I have.  So it's confusing.

Definitely over.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Over

Thank you!  Now, again, over or under??

Thanks

You are welcome. The hemostats will work just fine as well.  More specifically, after placing the loop over the pin, I gently close the loop with the pliers where it won't slip off the pin. 

Hi Kusani, I've got those, and also some very small, skinny, needle nose hemostats, all ready.  Thanks!

I use needle nose pliers to pinch my loops just bit so they don't come off the pins while restringing. 

H i Folks,

I now have some strings, and I also have wooden, friction pegs.  Should I wind the string 'over' or 'under' the peg?

It's a 1975 Lucky Diamond Dulcimer, and came with six strings, and it's original pegs. 

I think I am going to start with four strings so I can learn the basics.  I have a book--thank you, Mr. SS--and will go from there.

So, Over or Under?

Thanks!

Nuts may or may not float, but bridges often do.  Almost always it's better to change one string at a time, than take them all off.  Less chance of nuts/bridges not going back exactly where the belong.  Order doesn't matter, but direction of wind -- over the top or inside to outside does.  Masking tape, rubber bands or a capo if you have one are all good ways to keep those pesky strings on the string-pins and running down the fretboard before you start tightening.

@Phroedrick, this is a hurdle you will conquer and it will cease to be a problem.  

It is rare that the nut is not secured, but a floating bridge is pretty common.  When that is the case, you will want to change one string at a time so that the bridge and/or nut basically stay in position while you put the new strings on.  You can always adjust positioning later if the intonation is off, but changing one string at a time will make things easier.

The order does not matter.

The direction the tuners tighten the strings depends on which side of the post the strings are strung on.  If the posts are horizontal, you want the strings to go over the top of the post.  If the posts are vertical, you will want the strings to go on the inside.  The fact is that it will work either way, but those are the standard conventions.

One trick to keeping the string in place is to use a capo to hold it down.  Put the loop over the brad nail or whatever is there to hold the end of the string, pull it toward the head of the dulcimer, and then put a capo on to hold the string in place while you wind it around the tuner.  I learned that capo trick from @Butch-Ross and am embarrassed that I hadn't thought of it myself.

Here is a video  of @Guy-Babusek demonstrating how to string a dulcimer, and here is a video by @Bing-Futch doing the same.

EDIT:  @Salt-Springs beat me to posting those same two videos.  Great minds . . . 

This should help, use some masking tape to hold the strings on the hitch posts or pegs............