switching to larger size circular needles

[mommyto2presidents]

I'm working on a pattern that calls for ribbing on a size 5 circular needle, which I've done. It's now asking me to switch to a size 7 needle for the body. How do I do that on a circular needle to keep the work circular?

[isabeau]

Assuming you have two circular needles, one size 5 and one size 7, just knit using one of the 7 needles rather than the 'spare' 5 needle, which will transfer the whole thing to the size 7 needle set when you're done with the row.

[Jan in CA]

Yep, just start knitting with the new needle. It'll all make sense when you start going.

[mommyto2presidents]

Assuming you have two circular needles, one size 5 and one size 7, just knit using one of the 7 needles rather than the 'spare' 5 needle, which will transfer the whole thing to the size 7 needle set when you're done with the row.

Did you mean am I knitting using 2 circ needles simultaneously? No, I'm only using one circular needle. And if I just knit onto the new needle won't it eliminate the circular knitting.? I don't know how to incorporate the new needle into the knitting "loop".

What do you mean by 'spare' needle? I've only got a right needle and a left needle...

[suzeeq]

On the next round, instead of continuing with the size 5 needle, start knitting with the 7 in your right hand. As you use up the sts on the 5, they'll be transferred to the 7 and you'll still have a circle.

[mommyto2presidents]

Yep, just start knitting with the new needle. It'll all make sense when you start going.

I'm scared to try this... I've finally gotten my ribbing done without mistakes and I'm not very good at making mistakes.. So I just use the one size 7 needle and start knitting into the left needle on the circular knitting (opposite the working yarn)? How does it continue to be a circular knitting? Am I making any sense?

[suzeeq]

Yes, just begin knitting with your size 7. It is a circular needle, right? Just try it and see what happens.

[isabeau]

Normal circular knitting, you're going from one of the size-5 needles to the other... when you switch, just use one of the size-7 needles in place of the size-5 needle you'd be knitting onto. It'll transfer itself neatly onto the other set.

If you're worried about it, you can put in a lifeline -- take a piece of yarn or thread or something and thread it through the stitches while they're still on the size-5 needles. That way, if you make a mistake, you can frog back to that point but won't have to re-do the stuff you've already done.

[brittyknits]

I get your confusion, but it really does work. You've been knitting in the round. You are going to continue doing that, exactly as you have been. Here's what happens: you make the switch when you start a new round. You have been holding a size 5 circ left needle and a right needle. You are going to take one end of the size 7 circ and use it as a substitute for the size 5 right needle. The sweater doesn't know you've switched needles (I'm being serious!-- it'll help to understand this.). As you knit onto the 7, the stitches are being gradually transfered to this new needle (and its connecting cord), and eventually all of fabric will be on the new needle, still in a circle. You are not going to change direction or anything else you're doing. Here are a couple of things you can do to make it easier. Let's assume that when they tell you to switch to size 7s, you are also going to probably stop ribbing and switch to stockinette stitch. You could just knit one row in st st using the size 5s, and then on the next row switch to the 7s, just to make the switch less complicated-- you'd only be switching needles instead of that plus changing the stitch pattern. The other thing, simplest of all, is that if your stitches aren't too tight, is to thread the larger size into the stitches and then just pull out the smaller needles, without knitting at all, and then continue as the pattern tells you, all set with the larger needles size.