Knitting in the round with double-pointed needles can be tricky, but with practice it becomes easier. Start by evenly distributing your stitches onto the needles, then knit continuously in a circular pattern. It may help to use stitch markers to keep track of the beginning of each round. Once you’ve completed your project, you can close up any gaps by weaving in the ends.
Knitting in the round with double pointed needles can be a daunting task for any beginner knitter. But don’t worry, we’ll show you how it’s done step by step!
You don’t need to feel intimidated, because once you understand the basics of knitting in the round, you’ll find that it’s a fun and rewarding activity.
We’ll walk you through all the supplies needed, how to cast on your stitches, distribute them evenly, join your work for knitting in the round, and finally how to bind off and weave in the ends.
What You'll Learn
Gather Your Supplies
Get ready to create something special: gather your supplies and let the journey begin!
Before you get started, make sure you have all the necessary items for knitting in a round with double-pointed needles. You’ll need a set of four or five double-pointed needles of the same size, yarn (selecting from worsted weight to chunky is best), scissors, a tapestry needle, and stitch markers.
Once everything is gathered, it’s time to count stitches. Depending on the project you are creating will determine how many stitches you need to cast on. Usually when using double-pointed needles, an even number of stitches should be used such as 16, 20 or 24.
Now that your supplies are gathered and your stitches are counted out evenly across each needle it’s time to start knitting! Make sure you’re distributing your work evenly across each needle as this will ensure that everything works out properly while knitting in a circular pattern. The transition between one needle and another should be smooth so don’t worry if at first it feels tricky – practice makes perfect!
With all these preparations made, you’re now ready to cast on your stitches and get started on the real fun!
Cast On Your Stitches
Time to get those fingers flexing! Cast on your stitches and start your journey into the world of knitting in a circle.
To do this, you’ll need to know a few basic techniques that will help you work with double-pointed needles. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare:
- A gauge swatch: A gauge swatch is important in making sure that when you knit your project it’s the size you want it to be. Take some time and make one – it’s worth it!
- The long tail cast on: This method of casting on creates an even edge while also leaving enough yarn for seaming or joining later if needed. It’s a great way to begin a project with double pointed needles as well.
Once you’ve got these two things down, then comes the fun part – casting on your stitches!
To do this, hold three or four double-pointed needles together (depending on how many stitches are required for your pattern). Make sure that all the points are facing in the same direction and create a slip knot at one end of the needle set.
Now draw up one stitch onto each needle until they’re all full, being careful not to pull too tightly so that everything stays even. Finally, place a marker at the beginning of your round so you can keep track of where each round starts and ends.
Now that all of your supplies are gathered and stitches are cast on, it’s time to move onto distributing them evenly around each needle so we can start knitting in round!
Distribute the Stitches Evenly
Now that all of your stitches are cast on, let’s get them distributed evenly around the needles so we can start knitting in the round and create our beautiful circular pattern! You’ll want to ensure that you have an equal number of stitches on each needle.
This will help you keep track of your progress as you knit and make it easier to alternate between needles. To begin, count how many stitches are on one needle and then divide by four. That will give you a good starting point for how many should be on each needle.
Once you’ve done this for all four needles, take a moment to double-check that the numbers are even across all four needles. The next step is to slide the stitches from one needle onto another until they’re evenly distributed across each of the four needles.
As you move them around, make sure that any twisted or extra loops don’t get caught in between two needles – this can cause some serious lumps in your project if not fixed right away! Once everything is moved over, try tugging at the stitches gently with your fingers before moving onto the next step – joining for knitting in the round.
Now that your stitches are all properly distributed between each needle, it’s time to join them together and start knitting! Take two adjacent needles and hold them parallel together with their tips pointing in opposite directions.
Holding these two together like this will allow us to create a circle out of our yarn without having any visible seam lines or bumps where we joined it up together. If done correctly, there should be zero gap between the first stitch of one needle and last stitch of another; making sure there’s no extra slack or tightness when joining helps maintain an even tension throughout your project too!
It may take some practice (and maybe a few frogging sessions) before getting used to distributing stitches evenly across double pointed needles – but once mastered, it opens up endless possibilities for creating amazing projects with smooth edges and beautiful circular patterns!
Join for Knitting in the Round
Once your stitches are evenly distributed on the needles, it’s time to join them together and start knitting in a continuous circular pattern! There are several joining techniques you can use when working with double-pointed needles, but all involve creating a seamless circle:
- Slip Knot Joining
- Magic Loop Joining
- Providing Ring Joining
- Knitting Together Joining
When using the slip knot joining technique, you’ll begin by making a slip knot and placing it on one of the double-pointed needles. Then, you’ll take another needle and knit through the loop of the slip knot. Continue this process until all of your stitches are joined together into a single circle.
The magic loop joining method is similar to the slip knot technique as it also involves forming a loop with one of your needles before starting to knit. However, instead of slipping each stitch onto its own needle as in slip knot joining, you’ll knit around the loop until all of your stitches have been joined together.
This creates an even tension throughout your work so that there are no gaps or bulges.
The providing ring joining technique is done by taking two double-pointed needles and folding them parallel to each other like two sides of an archway. You then take these same two needles and slide them through each other so that they form a ring shape before knitting into this ring.
This method helps ensure that there are no gaps between stitches which can create uneven tension throughout your work.
Finally, with the knitting together joining technique you’ll start by taking three double-pointed needles and sliding one over top of another until only one stitch remains on each needle. Then, you simply knit those three stitches together before continuing with circular knitting patterns such as ribbing or stockinette stitch for optimal results.
This is often considered an easier way to join than some of the other methods as it requires fewer steps overall while still providing an even tension throughout your project.
Knit Continuously in a Circular Pattern
You’re ready to embark on this exciting journey of creating something beautiful, so let’s get started by knitting continuously in a circular pattern! Knitting in the round with double pointed needles is an important part of many knitting techniques. Circular knitting is a great way to create hats, mittens and other items that require a seamless construction.
| Step | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cast on stitches evenly onto three double-pointed needles. Make sure there are no extra wraps or twists around the needle. | Move your stitches around until they are sitting comfortably on the needles. This will make it easier to knit in the round. |
| 2 | Join for working in the round by making sure the last stitch is next to first stitch and there isn’t a twist between them. | Ensure that you have joined properly before continuing; if not, it will be difficult continue without having to tink (unravel) back your work later on. |
| 3 | Start with first stitch from left-hand needle and knit each stitch around until all stitches have been worked once through each needle | When switching from one needle to another, be mindful of what kind of stitch you were just working so that you can maintain your pattern correctly throughout |
| 4 | Repeat steps 2 & 3 until desired length has been reached | Take note of how much yarn you’ve used for every few rounds so that you don’t run out before completing your project! |
As you keep repeating these steps, try keeping track of where you are at within a given round/pattern repeat: it helps tremendously when determining how far along you are and how many more rounds need to be completed before binding off and weaving in the ends! It’s also beneficial to take regular breaks while knitting – not only does this give your hands a rest but it also gives you time away from any mistakes that may have gone unnoticed up till then! Keep going – soon enough, you’ll see yourself creating something beautiful with double pointed needles!
Bind Off and Weave in the Ends
Finally, it’s time to complete your project and make it look absolutely perfect by binding off and weaving in the ends – an absolute must for any knitter!
To do this, you’ll need to use different weaving techniques and stitch patterns. Bind-off stitches are crucial for creating a snug fit at the end of your knitting project. You should be careful not to pull too tight when binding off as this can cause your work to start puckering up or becoming distorted.
Once you have completed all of your bind-off stitches, you can move on to weaving in the ends. First, thread a yarn needle with the same yarn used in the knitting project. Tie off both ends of each strand so that they won’t unravel when weaved into the piece. Be sure not to tie them too tightly or too loosely so that they will be secure but also easy enough to weave into place without breaking the yarn or making large knots.
Weave through a few stitches at a time until both strands have been completely woven back into their respective sides of your knitting piece. This helps keep everything securely fastened while ensuring that all loose ends are hidden away from sight!
When done correctly, binding off and weaving in the ends creates an inconspicuous finish that really brings out the beauty of your work! It takes practice and patience, but once mastered, it’s an invaluable skill that every knitter should know how to do properly!
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve figured out how to knit in the round using double-pointed needles.
Now, you can make hats, mittens, and sweaters with ease. It may seem like a difficult task at first, but if you take your time and practice, you’ll be amazed by all that you can create.
Irony of it all? Knitting in the round is actually surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it! So go ahead and knit away – who knows what beautiful creations will come from your hands?
