Circular knitting needles look more confusing than they actually are. Few people learn to knit on circular needles, and often they are only considered when the knitter wants to work on a project in the round. Circular needles have other benefits to knitters however, and learning to knit with them could help you continue knitting when you may otherwise have to give the hobby up.
Circular knitting needles consist of a length of thin plastic tube or wire with a short solid needle point at each end. The needle points are available in the same sizes as conventional needles, and on a circular knitting needle both points will be the same size. The length of plastic wire does not need to be the same width as the knitting needles.
Circular knitting needles are available with plastic wire in a variety of lengths. You should select a length that is not too long for the work you will be knitting. Small items can usually be accommodated with the length of around 60 cm. Heavier or larger knitted pieces may need a 100 cm length of wire.
The needle points of circulat knitting needles are available in several different materials. Just as conventional knitting needles can be found in steel, bamboo or wood, so circular knitting needles are now also available. Using bamboo or wooden needles adds to the lightness of using a circular knitting needle.
You can use circular knitting needles to knit in the round, or to knit conventional flat pieces. It is always a good idea to work a practice piece of knitting first, before you begin your knitting project. This enables you to get a feel for the equipment you are using, and also to knit a tension or gauge square.
A tension square is even more important when using circular knitting needles, as your natural knitting style will be slightly altered by having the shorter needles to handle. Most yarns will have a tension square guide on the ball band. This is usually worked over approximately 40 stitches and gives the number of stitches to 2.5 cm.
You can cast on your stitches directly onto the circular needle, or onto a conventional knitting needle and them pick them up with the circular needle as you begin to work. Hold the circular needles, one in each hand, keeping the wire on the opposite side of the needles to yourself.
When working a flat piece of knitting with circular needles, the process is very much the same as when using conventional knitting needles. Work the required number of stitches from the first row, then swap the needle points over in your hands and work back again the same way. The stitches will naturally move along the points to the wire and sit there until you push them along to be knitted.
Knitting in the round with circular needles is a little more complicated to begin. Again you can cast on either directly with your circular needles or onto a conventional set. For the first row, knit with your circular needle to the end.
Next, bring the beginning of row 1 round to form a circle with the wrong side of your knitting on the inside. Take great care not to twist the first row around the wire. You may need to pull the wire through the knitting at a middle point so that the stitches are not stretched too far around the wire.
Though the cast on end will have a length of yarn to show the position of the first stitch, you may want to slip a stitch marker onto your needle between the end of row 1 and the start of row 2. Knit the first stitch of the second row, and pull the yarn tight to close up the gap between the rows.
Continue knitting as normal, moving the stitches around the wire as necessary. When you reach the end of row 2, transfer the stitch marker to the other needle point, and the knit the first stitch of row 3 as before, pulling the yarn tight. Failure to pull the yarn tight at the row ends will result in a column of loose stitches that resemble a ladder in your work.
Any conventional knitting pattern can be worked using circular knitting needles. If you are converting a pattern with flat pieces into one worked in the round, remember to reduce the stitch count by 2 per flat piece to accommodate the lack of seam.
Circular knitting needles can be a way for those who suffer from arthritis or other conditions of the hands or wrists to continue knitting. The circular needles do not have the weight of a conventional set of knitting needles and there are no ends to get caught in clothing. Give them a try and you may never use a conventional set of knitting needles again!