Posted by Nancy - Caryl on December 21, 19101 at 14:06:16:
In Reply to: circular needles posted by Kathy on December 20, 19101 at 21:38:15:
Dear Kathy,
If you are not knitting in the round, then basically
there is no
difference between circular needles and straight
needles, except that
the the points are joined by a cord on a circular
needle. Visualize, if
you will, cutting the circular needles in the middle
and putting
stoppers at each cut end, this would resemble a
straight needle. We have
converted many of our customers from using straight
needles into using
circular needles because we feel that knitting with
circular needles is
far more comfortable; the points of the needles fit
handily into the
palms of your hands. Additionally, you don't have
the extra weight of
the fabric which sits on the straight needle to
balance as you are
knitting.
In order to knit your hat in the round you have to
use circular needles
or double pointed needles to create a circle of
stitches. After casting
on the stitches you need, you will join the circle
by knitting into the
first stitch that you cast on. The newly formed cast
on stitches are in
your right hand needle. Do Not Turn your work! Grab
the other needle
with your left hand and move the first cast on
stitch to the edge of the
left needle. Take the right needle and yarn hanging
from the last cast
on stitch and enter the first cast on stitch on the
left needle and knit
it. This completes a circle of stitches.
It is very important that before you knit into the
first stitch that you
make VERY SURE that the bottom edge of your cast on
stitches are all
facing into the circle (made by your circular
needle) and not twisted in
a spiral. Be vigilant that the work is not twisted
for about two or
three rows. After that you can relax and just knit.
As you knit in the
round, the resulting fabric will be stockinet
stitch; the same as knit
one row and purl one row when you are knitting a
flat piece.
Since you are new to circular knitting, also be
aware that at some point
when making your hat you will need to decrease your
circle to create the
crown of the hat. This requires you change to a set
of double pointed
needles. When the crown on the hat becomes smaller
than the length of
your circular needle, you be too long. You cannot
knit a six inch round
crown on a 24 inch length needle. Mathematically it
will not fit.
Hope this make sense to you. We plan to create an
on-line class making
circular hats. We can notify you about the schedule
if you like.
Happy Knitting,
Nancy & Caryl
: can you explain the difference between using a circular needle vs. a pair of straight needles. i'd love to start knitting with a basic roll-brim hat and i've been recommended the circular -- which I bought but i'm having a hard time imagining how it all works. also, how do you connect the two sides of the knitting to form a hat? thanks very much -- great videos!!! p.s. i'm left handed, my mom tried to teach me knitting the english way and i never could get the feel for it. i've now learned the continental way using my left hand and i'm doing it!