# Knitwit Dopers Help! Circular knitting question for a scarf. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377 "2006-02-14T01:06:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/1 "2006-02-14T01:06:29Z")
Hello, I am a retard. I cast on 200 stitches for a scarf (noro yarn on size 4.5 circular needles but started out with this idea [Men’s Rustic Scarf](http://www.yarnmarket.com/projects/Quick_Easy_Gifts-Mens_Rustic_Scarf-392.html) and made adjustments as the yarn is rather expensive. ) and now after I finished the first offical row, my brain has completely seized up. If I continue doing this loop, won’t I just get one huge circle in the end? Do I have to flip the needles around and work my way back? Am I so stupid I should not be allowed near knitting needles? Signed, Rides the short bus to knitting school. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/2 "2006-02-14T01:09:21Z")
Google is my friend. [here.](http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/circular.html#flat) So sorry to have troubled anyone who has read this. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/3 "2006-02-14T07:41:57Z")
Ha. Yeah, I have to offer up a “duh” on this one, Shirley. I own ONLY circular needles, plus DP of course for the finer work. I couldn’t imagine knitting with the giant pinheads of traditional straight needles waving around beyond my elbows. Once you get used to using circulars _as if they were straight needles_, I wager you’ll never go back. Way less elbowey. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/4 "2006-02-14T08:05:59Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Ha. Yeah, I have to offer up a “duh” on this one, Shirley. > > I own ONLY circular needles, plus DP of course for the finer work. I couldn’t imagine knitting with the giant pinheads of traditional straight needles waving around beyond my elbows. Once you get used to using circulars _as if they were straight needles_, I wager you’ll never go back. Way less elbowey. > > Good luck! I looooove circular needles. I wish I’d started with them. I find that it’s easier to knit with them, and that I don’t have the problem of losing the non-working needle (I tend to stop only at the row’s end). My first project on CN was a baby blanket, knitted diagonally, and I’ve never looked back. I love being able to use the entire length of the needle to knit with, too. Really, try using CN for all your knitting. I have to admit that I crochet far more than I knit, but I can’t get over how much easier the CN was to use. ---
**Author:** ![jakeline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@jakeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeline)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/5 "2006-02-14T15:45:20Z")
I just had to chime in here. I hate circular needles. I feel like I’m wrestling with an octopus every time I use them. I’ve gotten used to them for knitting, but I can’t abide using them if I’m going to do any work that requires anything other than rows and rows of knit stitches. For purling or any detail work, I pick up my good ol straight needles or DPNs. However, I do knit continental, so that might be part of the reason there. Or I could just be weird. Or both. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/6 "2006-02-14T16:21:24Z")
I knit Continental too, and the circular needles do get all twisted up when you’re first starting, until the weight of the work pulls it out. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/7 "2006-02-14T16:28:13Z")
> [@jakeline](#): > > I just had to chime in here. I hate circular needles. I feel like I’m wrestling with an octopus every time I use them. I’ve gotten used to them for knitting, but I can’t abide using them if I’m going to do any work that requires anything other than rows and rows of knit stitches. For purling or any detail work, I pick up my good ol straight needles or DPNs. However, I do knit continental, so that might be part of the reason there. Or I could just be weird. Or both. I think there might be two problems: A) you could just be weird, of B) you’re actually wrestling with an octopus (you should check). I knit Continental–the only way to knit–and (on preview) I agree with ivylass: once you get a couple rows in, the benefits of circulars far outweigh the initial clumsiness. Maybe you should try knitting the first few rows on straight needles, then transfer onto circular, and see how that works. Meanwhile, I’m off to experiment with octopus knitting . . . ---
**Author:** ![jakeline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@jakeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeline)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/8 "2006-02-14T17:54:45Z")
Well, I was thinking about designing a nifty intarsia or duplicate stitch scarf ([like this one](http://community.livejournal.com/craftgrrl/7646093.html) except with an Invader Zim theme) so I’ll probably do that with circulars. I’ll report back on my conversion or continued hatred for circular needles once I get around to knitting it. ---
**Author:** ![jakeline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@jakeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeline)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/9 "2006-02-14T17:57:13Z")
Oh, and the term “octopus knitting”? I’m so stealing that! ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/10 "2006-02-14T18:08:00Z")
> [@jakeline](#): > > Well, I was thinking about designing a nifty intarsia or duplicate stitch scarf ([like this one](http://community.livejournal.com/craftgrrl/7646093.html) except with an Invader Zim theme) so I’ll probably do that with circulars. I’ll report back on my conversion or continued hatred for circular needles once I get around to knitting it. THANK YOU for that link! That is the coolest scarf I’ve ever seen (and I’ve knitted some pretty nifty ones!) ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/11 "2006-02-14T20:44:51Z")
So, of course, you’re not doing circular knitting, just using a circular needle, but, dig it - you can do scarves in the round. If you want a scarf that’s double thick and is in stockinette stitch without the stockinette curl, knit it in the round. I did it that way for my son and his friend’s Griffindor scarves. You also don’t have to weave in ends when you make your color changes (and these are the old fashioned Griffindor scarves with 13 stripes throughout); they just hide inside the tube of the scarf. Most likely you’ll want a circular needle no longer than 16 inches. I don’t know if I’d recommend it for scarves made with a high priced yarn though as it takes twice the yarn of a similar scarf knit flat. Now, you’re probably saying, but Car, what about the ends? Sew they carefully and hide the seam with fringe. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitwit-dopers-help-circular-knitting-question-for-a-scarf/344377/12 "2006-02-14T21:04:01Z")
I do that kind of scarf, but I do it jaquard; knit both sides simultaneously. Regarding the linked scarf above, I’d like to see the back of it . . .