Well, I’ve finally got me some circular needles (smile) so I can have a go at all those things (hats mainly) I had to reject while on the straight and narrow.
The Denise kit was a Christmas present, “you’ll never need to buy another needle” etc. etc. but lo ! what do I find hidden towards the end of said hat patterns ?? Use double pointed needles for the last few rows ! (unsmile). I guess there is no way round this ? (no pun intended)
Any tips for knitting on circular needles ?
And how the dickens do you knit on double pointed needles ??
I would suggest growing at least one more arm before you attempt it, if the instructions on this page are anything to go by.
With a circular needle, the problem is that as you reduce the number of stitches, the gap in between them is stretched more and more as you try to knit around - I suppose one way to overcome this might be to transfer the work onto a smaller circular needle every time the reduced number of stitches starts to affect the tension, but I’ve never tried this.
BTW, if you like that, you might like this: I’ve just got my kids onto French (bobbin) knitting - which may be thought of as the same as circular knitting, but with the needle broken up into pieces, with one stitch on each piece. I just made my son a wooden knitting loom something like the one on this page and it works really well, producing a tube of knitted material. I think you can reduce stitches on these too, but as the pegs are at fixed spacings, I expect that’s not always terribly successful - probably have to confine the work to scarves and ski hats that are closed with straight tops.
Good news: it’s a lot easier to use dpns when you’ve already been knitting than if you have to start on them. I’m an avid knitting and can only rarely start on dpns - usually with very thick yarn. The following won’t really apply to small things like socks and mittens, but will work for hat’s and bags. When you have decreased to a number divisible by 3 or close to it, start knitting onto the dpns from the circular. Say you have 30 stitches left - knit 10 onto one, then 10 onto the next and then 10 more onto the last. Form the needles into something of a triangle with the first and last stitches closest to you. Using a fourth needle, knit those first stitches onto it. That first needle now is empty and you knit the stitches from the second needle onto it. Use that empty second needle to knit the third needle’s stitches. You’ve done an entire round! Just follow along according to the pattern. Rather than binding off at the end you will be drawing yarn through the remaining stitches and drawing them closed. There are hat patterns that can be finished this way without decreasing way down too. You might finish with 30 stitches and draw the yarn through at that point.
I’m not one normally to promote avoiding double-pointed needles (aka DPNs), but I can understand the frustration you might be feeling.
First, know that just about anything you could knit on DPNs, you can do with two circular needles instead. The instructions I linked show how to start an item on two circs, but it’s similar for when you get down to the tiny part of a hat - knit half the stitches off onto your second circular, and treat each pair of needles like you’re knitting with straight needles. Bend the same needle that has your “active” stitches (the ones you’re about to knit) around, and knit those onto the other half of that circular. Then flip the item over, and use the other circular exclusively for the other side, and so on. (Just check to be sure that you’re not working with half of one circular and the other half of the other! Hold the item and look at the needle - the one on the side you’re working on should be bent in a nice U or C shape right in front of you, not snaking around from the other side of the work.)
But wait, you say, I only have one pair of each size of needle points with a Denise kit! I have one of those kits too, and it gets a little fiddly to do this, but it works - transfer both of the needle points to the other cord when you’re working with the other needle. If you’re worried about the not-in-use cord slipping out, use those round caps that come with the kit to cap off the bare cord’s ends. I’ve made gloves on two circs using this method, and I find it’s easier to try on an item when it’s on two circs, rather than trying to ram your hand between some blocky DPNs and figure out if it fits properly. There are a number of patterns specifically encouraging you to use two circs at once, including a book by Cat Bordhi called Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. The popular site Knitty also has some patterns encouraging this.
Now I do typically use DPNs for certain small items, but for just finishing a larger item that started on circs and tapers down, or for gloves/socks that I want to check the fit on during the process, the two circ method is hard to beat. And it’s priceless when you don’t have DPNs of the proper size and just want to finish up the item without a trip to the store!
Best tip for knitting on circulars is to be absolutely certain that your stitches aren’t twisted. Otherwise you get a moebius, which can be great if you intend to do it, not so great if you don’t.
I have no problems with DPNs myself, it takes a little getting used to so you don’t poke yourself and you have to be careful about keeping the stitches snug between needles but they work just fine, and of course if they don’t for you, you can use the two circular method (not something I’ve tried, I have more DPNs than I do circulars but I might try it at some time).
Yeah, the problem with circs is that once you get to where the piece is smaller than a certain diameter, there’s no practical way to keep knitting with them. Most circ cords only get as small as 12" (which comes out to a diameter of approximately 3.62"), because any smaller than that and they restrict your range of movement and stretch the piece.
I am not a big fan of double-pointed needles – knitting with them is not unlike wrestling with a porcupine (or so I’d imagine). I like using 2 circulars, and like Caricci I have an easier time with DPNs if I’m using it at the end of a project than at the beginning.
That said, you can get used to them – I know I have a better time with them now than I did my first few projects with them.
If you want to try knitting in the round without having to use DPNs, you could always try knitting a felted bag first – there are some patterns at knitty, and all over the web, but the Booga bag is a great beginner’s pattern, IMO. Just ignore the “knit twisted” instructions, and you can do the i-cord on the circulars instead of the DPNs. If there’s anything in there you don’t know how to do, go watch the free videos at Knitting Help.
That’s why I love this place - so helpful so quick ! Your encouragement has me fired up and ready to go !
Although your link scared me Mangetout, Caricci’s instructions make perfect sense and restored my courage, I may even try it ! Ferret Herder that link makes me feel like I’m starting all over again - I think I’ll just do a tube like hand-warmer/muffler first time out on circulars then look into this decreasing thing later but I really appreciate your clarity about how to make the best of Denise. Stargazer I’ll have you know that I’m immune to the curse of felting … but only because there’s no washing machine and Southpaw you evil little argent provocateur - don’t tell anyone but I crochet chains rather than doing i-cord! jayjay & flutterby thanks for the tips and idlewild I’ve bookmarked that link for when I’m a wee bit older and wiser
Actually talking to you all I feel like a real newbie, but a welcomed one you know ? I took up knitting just over a year ago and altho’ I’ve done quite a lot of stuff it’s mostly been variations on a theme, that theme being squares & rectangles (scarves, bags). I had a student last year (I teach English) who was a real knitter and she kept an eye on my more ambitious projects but her course finished. I have a couple of neighbours who’ve told me they knit I don’t feel comfortable going to them for help besides there’s a tendency to think of me as a bit of a foreign nutter !
I travel round the city a lot for work and knit on the metro/subway so part of the reason I wanted circulars was not for knitting in the round but knitting in cramped conditions - the idea of trying to use dpns during rush hour is … well anyway thanks again everyone.
I mostly knit flat and use circs for the very purpose of not stabbing my subway neighbours with the end of a nice long steel straight. I have used dpns on the subway but not when it’s terribly crowded, even though the pointy ends do tend to guarantee my personal space.
My first in the round project was the voodoo wristwarmers from knitty.com on two circs. It was really quick and fun. No decreasing, just ribbing round and round, a buttonhole thumb, and it’s all done.
Amen about the felting, stargazer. One of the models where I work found me some awesome wool/alpaca in the garbage in the textiles department and it felts so beautifully that I. Just. Can’t. Stop.
Cat Jones , i-cord is the easiest thing in the world so if you’re making chains because i-cord is done on dpns, I urge you to try it. It’s nothing like knitting in the round on them. If you come over to the felt side, it makes a beautiful strap. If you braid three and felt it, well it’s just strap heaven! I am so pleased my instructions made sense. Thank you.
I can understand not wanting to work with DPNs when you’re on transit. I have, but it’s awkward when you’re crammed in there and I have noticed a distinctive tendency for people to gawk and/or give you a wide berth…
Now that I’ve seen the magic loop though, thanks to the link above, I’m amazed and wanting to try it. Except the longest circ I have is 12". I was half afraid to look it up to discover what crazy method it was!
I’m a fairly new knitter myself, only been doing so a couple of years less a few months. I did do some on a spindle as a kid (it was a dress making kit for Barbie) and was taught to cast on, knit and cast off but nothing else… I couldn’t even purl! Right now I’m working on my first sweater! (A hoodie for my son, knit in the flat and really quite simple. The most complex thing I’ve hit so far is making sure of my gauge and watching that my decreases start in the same spot, I think the only thing that might give me a little more trouble will be the button holes and the hood… and then I’m going to make one for myself!)
Works wonderfully. I “unvented” magic loop technique a long time ago when I was too lazy to get up and walk over to knitting needle repository. Way easier to just readjust the circular.
Cat Jones, if your tension is at all even, the dpns will hold themselves in place - after you’ve already learned how to do it. Public transit is not where I’d give it a first try. Still, I knit very loose and don’t have a problem with using them on the bus.
So you’ve all noticed that you’re more likely to get a double seat to yourself when knitting eh ? Sneaky ain’t we ?
Flutterby wish I had someone small to practice on ! My first top was a simple thing made in a ribbon like yarn, big needles and knitted up in no time - great confidence booster.
Another quick question - blocking, yeah or nay ? I live in a very small flat, things take an age to dry … if I do a careful hand-wash the first time do I really need to block prior to wearing a top ?
From what I can tell, blocking a garment is pretty much something you need to do, I’ve never actually done it though since all I’ve done are gloves and scarves and hats up to this point.
I have seen pictures of stuff before and after blocking though (check out some blogs, Yarn Harlot has a beautiful picture of a shawl before and after) and it appears to me to make a big difference in bigger items.
Crocheting in the round is easy-peasy. And you only ever need one hook!
(scarves, bags). I had a student last year (I teach English) who was a real knitter and she kept an eye on my more ambitious projects but her course finished. I have a couple of neighbours who’ve told me they knit I don’t feel comfortable going to them for help besides there’s a tendency to think of me as a bit of a foreign nutter !
Thank you.