Siskiyou Knits

HOME  Siskiyou Knitters Siskiyou Spinners Fleece Growers Events Grannie Linda Links

 

KNITTING WITH TWO CIRCULAR NEEDLES

A HAT IN PROGRESS.......

Knitting with circular needles allows you to knit a round piece without a seam. In a piece where you would normally use one 16” circular – such as a hat or a sleeve – you can use two circulars and be able to lay the piece flat for measuring. Also, if you need to do any decreases, such as at the top of a hat or sock -- you don’t need to switch to several double point needles. Using two circulars allows you to decrease down to 2 stitches (or less!).

You can also work many increases, such as at the top of a sleeve!

 

Circular needles come in several lengths.  If you use ONE circular needle to knit in the round, you need to make sure that the amount of stitches you are working on is not so many that your work is “bunched” up, or so few that the work stretches tightly around the circle.
When knitting with TWO circulars, you just decide which length to use by deciding how far down the unused needles will hang from your work.
When using two circulars for socks, some people prefer using two 24” needles so that the resting needle to hangs lower, out of the way – and some people (like me J) prefer the 16” needles so that they are up closer to the work where they are easily grabbed!

16” circulars (and there are also 8 and 12 inch ones!) have a shorter working needle that is attached to the cable. This can be easier for smaller projects.
24” to 40”circulars, have a working needle that is longer and more comfortable for the hand, especially if working on a large or heavy item.

To knit with two circular needles you cast-on, or pick up, the number of stitches desired onto one circular needle, then slip half of them onto the other circular needle  - or -  cast-on/pick-up half on the first needle then continue with putting the second half of the required stitches on the second needle.

The needle set that is not being used should be centered on the work, so that the flexible part is holding the stitches, and you have plenty of room to knit.

 

AS YOU KNIT ACROSS ONE SET OF NEEDLES, THE OTHER SET IS LEFT ALONE.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE TIPS FROM THE SAME SET OF CIRCULARS!

You knit in rounds knitting across each circular needle using its own tail.  (Never knit from one circular set of needles to the other).

One trick, to make sure that you are working on both ends of the SAME circular, is to use sets of different colors, so that you are using two tips needles of the same color at a time.  If you don’t have two sets of different colors, a little dot of red nail polish on each tip of ONE set will help you tell them apart!

 

Make sure that the right side of your work is facing you while you are knitting around.  The resting needle should be away from you, on the other side of your working needle.

If the wrong side of the work is facing you, or the resting needle is between where you are knitting, and your chest, flip your work inside out and continue on the outside circumference.

 

KNITTING ON THE OUTSIDE CIRCUMFERENCE!

This technique may be awkward at first, but be patient.  It is a very handy way to knit items in the round, and saves the time and trouble of switching to a lot of double pointed needles.