Beginner needs help w/circular needles

[namredus]

Help! I'm a beginner and am trying to knit a flat afghan on circular needles. I keep going in the round. How to I knit something flat on circular needles! Ugh! I've ripped this thing out 3 x!

[suzeeq]

To knit flat, don't join, just turn at the end of the row. Cast on and work the first row, turn and do the second row. If you're doing a Long tail CO, turn and work the first row. It's just like knitting on straight needles except they're connected.

[salmonmac]

If you have a lot of sts on the needle, it may be difficult to see the end of the row. Put a marker on the needle when you begin the first row. When you get to the marker again, turn the work and knit back. After you’ve done several rows, you may not need the marker anymore. The marker can be as simple as a loop of contrasting yarn, a paper clip or a plastic circle st marker.

[Jan in CA]

To knit flat make sure your working yarn is coming from the LEFT needle after you turn.

To knit in the round make sure your working yarn is coming from the RIGHT needle after you turn.

You can see that if the yarn is coming from your right needle that when you loop it over the stitch it's going to join in the round. Make sense?

[suzeeq]

You can see that if the yarn is coming from your right needle that when you loop it over the stitch it's going to join in the round. Make sense?

Only when you're in the middle of a row working flat, the yarn comes from the R needle too.

[knitcindy]

Cast on the correct # of stitches. Then BEFORE you start knitting, put some sort of marker on the left hand needle -- either a plastic ring or a loop of yarn. THEN make sure that you are holding the needle with the "Starting yarn" in your LEFT hand before you begin.

Transfer your marker to the right hand needle and then knit the first row according to the pattern. STOP when you reach your marker. Turn your work around by switching needles, just like with straight needles. Then move your marker and knit the 2nd row according to the pattern.

Continue like this back and forth. I always pretend I'm working with straight needles and need to switch them back and forth from row to row.

HTH, knitcindy

[Jan in CA]

Only when you're in the middle of a row working flat, the yarn comes from the R needle too.

Right, when you're in the middle of the row of flat knitting the working yarn will be on the right. I was referring to how it's supposed to lay after you finish a row so you don't accidentally join into a round.

[suzeeq]

She may be having trouble finding the end of the row though, maybe too short a needle and the sts are all squished together.