How to knit a big blanket

[bekki]

Hi all,
This may be a silly Q but I am only a beginner.
I have a baby blanket pattern that uses chunky yarn. It says to cast on 130 stitches but I do not think that 130 would fit on the needle. I don't know how long the needles are exactly but they seem like the longest I can buy. How do I cast on that many stitches??
Thank you in advance.
Bekki

[CountryKitty]

Go ahead and give it a try...yarn really scruches up on the needles, so they can hold more than you might think. Give it a go!

[Ingrid]

Welcome!

The trick to knitting large items is to use a circular needle, but knit flat. You use the two ends as if they were separate needles, but the cord between them holds as many stitches as you need.

I've gotten to the point that I use circulars for everything because they are so versatile.

[DorothyDot]

Ingrid is right. You'll fit those stitches easily on 29" circular knitting needles. And hey - just remember: you'll never lose one of those needles. [tee-hee!]

For future reference, you can also knit huge, honkin' bedspreads in panels and then sew the panels together. Kind of like knitting 4-5 scarves then joining them their sides.

Dot

[susi]

yep another circular needle fan as well. i am replacing all my needles tp circular once slowly.

there lighter i find as well, so not so hard on your back and shoulders neck etc

susi

[MaleKnitter]

yes, I only use circular needles.
you can make anything with a long circular needle
I don't like single pointed needles because the stitches slip off, and you have to scrunch up the yarn and it's so easy to lose a needle (I am not the most organized person in the world and if I had to find the other needle every time I wanted to start a project, I would just stop knitting right now)
also, with the circular needles, once you have a lot of work done (example: you've got a large sweater worked up to the armhole) the fabric just goes right in your lap and you don't have so much unwanted weight pulling on your needles-which can affect your gauge (and you don't want that)
and one more thing, the smaller circular needle tips (the actual knitting needle on the circular needle) is about 4.5-5 inches, which fits in your hand MUCH better than an awkward 14" metal stick.

I would suggest (if you are still new to knitting and don't have a lot of needles) just buy circulars from now on... ooh and they are much easier to store- another plus.

but one thing, if you get a circular needle with a stiff cable wand very little flexibility (some companies have very stiff cables) make sure you dip the cable on the circular needle into some hot or boiling water (don't worry, it won't melt) and the cable will straighten out and become more flexible.

[bekki]

Thank you all for your answers. I was also wondering about the weight of the work. I have some circular but they are stiff so I think I will go and stick them in some hot water. What a good idea.

Thank you all. I love knitting but as I am teaching myself from books I will be in here lots, with more crazy questions.

Thank you again,
Bekki

[cam90066]

make sure you dip the cable on the circular needle into some hot or boiling water

Depending on the brand, you might want to avoid putting the join in boiling water as some have reported it comes undone. Heat the cable in hot water, hold it over steaming pot, or you can use a blow dryer (the method I prefer). Pull taught til it cools. Don't store it curled as it'll return to its coiled state.

cam

[bekki]

Thank you for the info on methods to straighten the wire. I will give it a go.