To join knitting on circular needles, one can cast on stitches, ensure they’re not twisted, join by knitting the first stitch, and place a marker. It’s important to keep the tension consistent and to use the appropriate size needles for the yarn being used.
Welcome to the wonderful world of knitting!
In this article, we’ll teach you how to join knitting on circular needles. This technique is perfect for creating hats, sweaters and other garments that require circular stitches.
We’ll walk you through:
- Casting on stitches
- Ensuring they’re not twisted
- Joining by knitting the first stitch
- Placing a marker
With this tutorial, you’ll be able to master knitted projects in no time at all!
Let’s get started!
What You'll Learn
Gather Necessary Supplies
Before you can get started, gather all the tools you’ll need to make your project a success! Collect your circular needles and make sure they match the size recommended for your pattern.
Gather yarn in the suggested weight and color as well as any additional notions such as stitch markers or holders. Knitting gauge swatches are also important–measuring them will give you an idea of how tight or loose your stitches tend to be and allow you to adjust your knit tension accordingly.
With all of these materials at hand, you’re ready to start knitting with circular needles!
Cast On Stitches
Carefully loop the yarn ’round your fingers to create the initial foundation of your project!
To join knitting on circular needles, you must first cast on stitches. There are many different join methods and joining techniques that can be used to begin a project with circular needles. Here is a list of popular options:
- Long-tail Cast On: This method requires more time and effort in the beginning but results in an even, flexible edge.
- Cable Cast On: This is a great option for those seeking an extra stretchy edge. It has a nice look and is quite strong.
- Backward Loop Cast On: This easy-to-learn technique produces a loose edge which can easily be tightened or loosened depending on what type of look you’re going for.
Once you have chosen the method that best suits your needs, you will need to begin casting on stitches for your project.
Make sure each stitch is tight enough to hold its shape without being too tight as this could cause tension issues later on.
Once all stitches have been casted onto the needle, it’s time to move forward with joining them together!
Ensure Stitches Are Not Twisted
Once all your stitches are cast on, make sure they’re not twisted and ready to be knitted together! Check the tension of your yarn and needles by gently pulling the yarn apart. If you feel any resistance or tension, it’s likely your stitches are twisted. To double check, use a lifeline to ensure that the stitches aren’t twisted. A lifeline is a piece of scrap yarn that’s threaded through each stitch on the needle in order to hold them in place.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to use | Time consuming |
| Ensures accuracy | Requires extra supplies |
| Great for beginners | Not always necessary |
If this isn’t an option for you, try using two needles instead of one circular needle. With two separate needles, it’ll be easier to tell if the stitches have been twisted or not just by looking at them from above. It may take longer than with one circular needle but is worth it for accuracy sake! Additionally, this method will let you know if there are any dropped stitches as well which can easily go unnoticed when knitting with a single circular needle.
On top of checking stitch tension and position, also pay attention to where your working yarn is coming from as this can make all the difference when joining new knitting projects together. Make sure your working yarn comes from behind the needle, otherwise you could end up with misaligned stitches that won’t fit correctly after joining them together! Now that you’ve checked everything twice and made sure all your stitches are correct and facing the right direction, you’re ready to join them together into one cohesive project!
Join by Knitting the First Stitch
Now that your stitches are ready, let’s make them one piece by knitting the first stitch. Let’s do this with care and precision to create a beautiful, cohesive project!
To join your cast on stitches together you’ll need to knit the very first one. This is known as a slip stitch or cable join and will form the basis for the rest of your knitting on circular needles. Here are three helpful tips to ensure success:
- Make sure the yarn is in front of your work before slipping it through the first stitch.
- Keep an even tension as you go along – not too tight, but not too loose either.
- Make sure all stitches remain untwisted during this process so that there aren’t any kinks in your knitting later on.
Once you’ve created this slip stitch, give yourself a pat on the back! You’ve just successfully joined all of those individual stitches together into one continuous loop which can now be worked in rounds.
As we move onto the next step, it’s important to remember always to keep an eye out for twisted stitches while working with circular needles – they can easily occur if you’re not careful!
Place a Marker
You’ve come a long way, so take a moment to congratulate yourself – then it’s time to place a marker!
There are many types of markers you can use for this step. Some markers are removable, like locking stitch markers, or those made from paper clips and safety pins. If you want something more secure, opt for permanent markers such as double-pointed needles or plastic split-ring markers. It all comes down to personal preference when it comes to the type of marker you choose.
When placing the marker, make sure that it is placed between the last stitch on your right needle and the first stitch on your left needle. This will help identify where each round should start and end in your knitting project.
The placement of your marker is important if you want an even and consistent finish in your knitting project. Take some extra care when positioning the marker correctly: insert one side of the marker into the stitch before the first stitch on your left needle, then slip the other side of the marker onto your right-hand needle tip before you knit that first stitch together with its neighbor from round one.
Now that everything is set up properly, you’re ready to begin knitting in the round – no need for any further preparation!
Begin Knitting in the Round
With the marker securely in place, take a deep breath and start knitting ’round – but make sure you don’t twist those stitches or else you’ll be back to square one!
To begin knitting in the round, switch needles if you were previously knitting flat. That means moving the right needle to your left hand, and the left needle to your right hand. This will put both needles at the same side of your work.
Then, knit into the first stitch on your left needle as normal. You may find it helpful to hold both needles together when doing this so that none of the stitches slip off while you are working them together. You can also use a cable needle or double-pointed needles for extra security if needed.
As you continue knitting around, make sure to keep an eye on your tension and count each row as you go along so that you know when it’s time to move onto the next step of joining in circular needles.
Once all of your stitches have been joined together, check again that they’re not twisted –it’s easy to do this by counting how many rows there are per stitch: they should all match up evenly!
At this point, it’s time to start actually knitting in circles. Start by pushing those last two stitches on one needle over onto another and then continue making rounds until you reach your desired length or pattern instructions tell you otherwise!
As long as everything is going smoothly without any snags or slips, congratulations –you’ve successfully set up for circular knitting! Now just keep going round and round until
Conclusion
You’ve done it! You’ve learned how to join knitting on circular needles.
Now you can knit in the round and create beautiful garments.
When you have your stitches all joined, take a moment to admire your work – it’s truly amazing what you can do with just some yarn and needles.
Knitting is such an enjoyable activity, and now that you’ve mastered this technique, the possibilities are endless.
Let your imagination run wild as you start creating gorgeous hats, sweaters, and more!
