Q&A for How to Knit on Circular Needles

I'm not a professional knitter, but I believe that at the end of each row in your afghan, you would just turn your work and switch needles (as if you were working with straight needles).

First, check the sides of the needles. The size is usually written there. If you can't find it, I suggest the nifty needle size tool. It's a piece of plastic with labeled holes for all needle sizes. You just have to stick the needle through the holes until you find the right size. These tools are very cheap and available at most yarn/craft stores.

If you are knitting in the round, no. If they recommend using a circular needle only because you are going to have a lot of stitches, then you can use a long normal knitting needle - but it may be more difficult.

It depends on the size of the article you are making. Most patterns tell you what size and length the circular needle should be. Small items require a shorter length than larger items, which require a longer length between the knitting pins.

After casting on the required number of starting stitches, place your circular down on a flat surface. Examine the cast-on row to make sure all of the stitches are facing the right way. Untwist as necessary.

Make sure to count your stitches. It may be helpful to write down or print your instructions. Make sure you know exactly what kind of stitches you have to do. Also, keep track of what row you've just stitched.

You can buy multiple sizes from stores (24", 36", 48", etc.). If you want to keep the same needles but change the size of the connector, try buying needles that can be unconnected and reconnected to create different lengths.

It's best to change colors between two needles, usually at the end of a round. Once you have reached the end of one needle, leave a good tail of the new color between the two needles. Hold onto this tail as you start to knit with the new yarn. After a few rounds, the tail will stop being so loose and you can knit normally.

Try using the Knitpro circular needles, these do not twist and are a pleasure to knit with.

I've never heard of anyone doing that, I think it would just mess up the numbers.

If you are knitting in the round on circular needles, then you can knit every row to work in stockinette stitch (all knit stitches). If you are working back and forth on circular needles, then you will need to alternate knit and purl rows to work in the stockinette stitch.

It is helpful to place a stitch marker between the first and last stitches when using a circular needle. This will help you to identify where each round begins and ends. If you don't have a stitch marker, tie a piece of yarn around your right hand needle just before joining the round and keep it in place while you knit. Use a yarn color that contrasts with the yarn you are using for your project so that it will stand out.

If you are finishing the brim of the hat, then you would need to cast off. If you are decreasing moving towards the top of the hat, then you will need to transfer your stitches to double-pointed needles and decrease until the top of the hat is closed.

It's the same way as you would do it with regular needles. The only difference is, if you are knitting in the round, you need to be sure your round ends with P2 (or whatever your ribbing pattern is) and that you start with K2. Otherwise, your round will end AND begin with K2. This will make it K4 and the ribbing will be wrong.

When you want to join in the round, make sure your needle is small/big enough for all of your stitches to wrap around the whole needle. Then, cast on an extra stitch. Take your first cast-on stitch (on your right needle) and slip it to your left needle. Then, knit the first two stitches on your left needle together. You're joined in the round!

This is when you use a long cable pair of circular knitting needles, such as 32 or 40 inch, to knit something with a small circumference, such as socks or a hat. You need to criss cross the cables and then work in the round using the double pointed needles to do this.

Yes, you can.

You may need to use a pair of circular needles with a shorter plastic center. If the plastic is too long for your project, then you won't be able to fill it with enough stitches to keep it straight.

The technique is to use two circular needles in place of double pointed needles. DPN are best for small circular knits. Using two circular ones help you track the row you are working on. Like working back and forth, you will knit the section on to a circular needle. With the second circular needle, you go to the other end of the row to start the spiral of circular knitting. Repeat when all the stitches have been knitted onto the new needle.This method does not need a row marker, as all stitches will be on a new needle for each row.