knitting in the round...with garter stitch

lmc · 03-08-2006, 03:05 AM

I went to the video's for learning to knit in the round, but am stumped as to how to make the knitting come out in the garter stitch as my pattern calls for.

And don't I want an opening for the front of the sweater/jacket I am making? i.e. not joined stitches all around? This is a cardigan jacket size two for a child.

Should I knit around to the end of the cast on stitches and then turn and knit again in the opposite direction to that end and turn again and go back again?

This is my next new thing to learn...thanks for any help you can give.

03-08-2006, 12:51 PM

Don't turn the work around; you'll end up with an opening. Instead, when knitting in the round, you have to knit one row, then purl one row in order to acheive garter stitch. Just put a stitch marker at the beginning of the round so that you know when to switch stitches.

I am curious, though: you call it a cardigan, so are you sure that it is knit in the round? Maybe the pattern calls for a circular needle only because you'll have so many stitches, not because you'll actually knit in the round? Or is this sweater really a pullover?

CateKnits · 03-08-2006, 04:36 PM

Yes, you are correct. To get an opening, you just turn and knit back at the end of the row, as if you were knitting on straight needles and garter stitch will then be knit every row.

lmc · 03-08-2006, 06:27 PM

the pattern says: Jacket is worked back and forth in one piece to underarm, then divided and fronts and back are worked separately.

Body: Work in garter stitch for 7"...

And it shows a circular needle size 10...

and it says its EASY! Yeah, sure!

It looked to me when I "turned" and went back in knit stitch it did not create the garter stitch. Wonder what I did wrong? (to divide for an opening in the front of the "Garter Stitch Jacket". I'll try again.

CateKnits · 03-08-2006, 06:32 PM

If you're working back and forth, pretend you're knitting on straight needles. Generally, they tell you to use circular needles when you're knitting back and forth because it's much easier to knit with a large number of stitches when they aren't all squished on a long straight needle.

lmc · 03-08-2006, 07:11 PM

Okay, so working back and forth simply means knit one row to the end, then put the right hand needle with all the stitches now in your left hand and go again?
And if I keep doing the K stitch is should come out as Garter stitch, correct?

thanks again.

Ingrid · 03-08-2006, 08:52 PM

Yes, you've got it!