Circular needles are on their way!

[insanenewknitter]

Okay, my circular needles are coming in the mail today. Is there anything in particular I should know about? I've only ever knitted with straight needles before. Am I going to be totally lost, or is it very similar to straight needles?

[Antares]

Hooray! What fun to get knitting stuff in the mail!

Knitting with circs is very similar to knitting on straights. You just kinda forget the two tips are connected, and you turn the work the same way you would when knitting on regular needles. It might help to remember where your yarn should be when you're starting a new row, but if you do get it wrong while working back and forth, then you're suddenly joining in the round--a dead giveaway that something's not right.

Let us know how you like them!

[Jan in CA]

Yay! Which ones did you get?

It won't take long and it'll all be second nature to you just like straights. Think about where your working yarn is supposed to be in both knitting in the round and knitting flat. Once you remember that you shouldn't have a problem. Have you knit in the round at all before? The main thing to remember is you are knitting on the outside of the circle.

[insanenewknitter]

Yay, they're here!!
I just got the Takumi Bamboo kind. I like them because they don't slip as much as metal ones do.
No, I have never knitted in the round before. What is the concept of it?
I like 'em so far, I'll see how I like them tonight!!

[Becky Morgan]

I have never knitted in the round before. What is the concept of it?

No seams! (Okay, very few seams.) Hats on small circular needles go incredibly fast. When you knit on circulars in the round, it's always a good idea to use a stitch marker (even if it's the plastic ring off a soda bottle neck) to mark the beginning of rounds. When you change colors, it does leave a slight jog unless you do one of the "jogless join" techniques, but most of the time it isn't too bothersome.

For maximum lazy summer day knitting enjoyment, not to mention in-the-round practice, I recommend a 16" needle, a ball of self-striping worsted weight and a plain stockinette hat pattern that starts with the ribbing on the bottom. When you tie off the top, it's done and ready to wear. The only tricky part is learning what to do when you have too few stitches on the needle to keep going as you have been, but that takes about five minutes to figure out if no one is there to show you.

[insanenewknitter]

Okay, wait, I'm confuzzled. I can or can't work flat with circular needles?
I'm making a blanket and got circular needles because my straight needles are way too short for the amount of sts I had to cast on. Can I make the blanket on my circs. if I just turn it around at the end of each row?

[Antares]

Yes, you can work a flat pattern (working back and forth) on your circs. Lots of people do this instead of using straight needles--and for lots of good reasons: don't have to keep up with two needles, easier for heavier items because the bulk of the material rests in your lap as you knit, etc.

So circs will work for both flat and circular knitting. Very handy, eh?

[insanenewknitter]

Thank you, Antares! I was worried for a minute there, because I had just knit all of my sts. to them, and did not want to lose all I had done already! Very, very handy. Thank you!! I love 'em now!!

[Jan in CA]

Oh yeah, you can definitely do both with circs. I haven't knit with straight needles in years!

I have a friend with the Takumi Bamboo and she likes them better than any other wood including KP.

[Christinechrstms1]

I used a straight needle for the first couple of slippers then saw in videos that people were using circulars. I decided to try them as the ends of the long needles always seemed to be catching on something. I found that it was so much less stress on my hands holding the smaller needles and therefore much more comfortable. The lady who babysat for me only used straight needles and I was always worried that my children would get hurt because they would be in her bag with the tips sticking straight up and out. I was afraid my kids would fall on them. The circulars seem to just lie on the side with the knitting when put down or packed in a bag. I never seen circulars until the videos