Useful Tips for Knitting in the Round

You can take on tons of different projects as your knitting abilities grow. You can make a blanket, a scarf—you can even knit a sweater! The truth is, if you put your mind to it, give yourself the time, and stay patient, you can accomplish any project that comes your way. Today, we discuss your circular knitting projects—hats, cowl scarves, socks, mittens, and more! Circular and double-pointed knitting needles seem pretty daunting, but when you follow our useful tips for knitting in the round, you can and will succeed!

Make Stitch Markers Obvious

Stitch markers are vital when knitting in the round. Marking the first or last stitch in the round is very important—this will keep your stitches and your pattern even. You may also want to use stitch markers for switches in pattern and knitting style. In general, these stitch markers will make it easier for you because you won’t have to count loops, you can just keep working on the project at hand.

Keep Your Stitches Tight

You may find that when you first start knitting in the round, especially when using double-pointed needles, your stitches are quite loose. Do your best to tight loose stitches and close up any gaps. Pull taught on the tail when you weave in the ends on the off chance that you missed any loose areas. The tighter your stitches, the more your pattern will shine through and the more even your finished product!

Ensure Straight Stitches

When you cast on, make sure all your stitches are straight. A lot of people run into the issue of twisted stitches when using circular and double-pointed needles, so after you finish casting on, you need to go through and straighten them out. If your cast-on stitches get twisted, then joining your pattern will be a pain and it will make the rest of your project twist and bend in ways you don’t want. After each round, straighten out your stitches—you’ll be glad you did when you finish.

Use the Magic Loop for Smaller Projects

If you crochet, then you probably already know about the “magic loop,” but when it comes to knitting in the round, this magic loop is a bit different. You’ll need this magic for your projects when the cord is longer than the number of cast-on stitches—this will typically be the case for hats or sleeves of a sweater. Basically, it allows you to use circular needles, in particular, even when you have projects with a smaller circumference. Here are the basic steps:

• Cast on the total number of stitches onto the needle.
• Slide all the stitches onto the cord.
• At the halfway point in the cord, fold it in half, with equal cast-on stitches on either side of the cord.
• Pull out the loop of the cord at the halfway point, and continue to do so until the stitches are halved onto both needles.
• Stack one needle on top of the other, and then gently pull out the bottom needle so that the stitches are on the cord—this will be your working needle.
• Then stitch away like normal!

Ensure Your Working Yarn Stays Outside

Our last tip is quite simple, but very important—make sure your working yarn always stays at the outside of your circle as you knit. It should not pass through the center of the circle and should instead run up from the last cast-on stitch.

For all your knitting projects, turn to Lindley General Store. We have all the knitting supplies you need, from circular and double-pointed needles to cute stitch markers. You’ll find various patterns and yarns to choose from so that you can make the masterpiece of your dreams. Shop now!