Transcript
So, I’m going to show you how to work with a circular needle using the traditional method. Of course traditional means different things depending on what part of the world you are from. For example in some parts of the British Isles traditional circular knitting was done on really long double points, I’m not going to show you that. So, for me traditional method means working on a short circular that is roughly the same diameter as the piece that you want to be knitting. So for this small hat I’m using a small circular needle that is 16 inches around as is the piece that I am working. So you don’t have any extra cable to worry about and you’re not fitting a ton of stitches on to a short circular.
To work the traditional method of knitting in the round, I knit my stitches from the left to the right just like I would on straight needles. So, I’m working in from the left, wrap around the back, scoop up a new loop and pop the old loop off, around and around. This is me working with the yarn in my right hand, I’m a thrower. But if you’re a picker or a continental knitter you would be doing the same thing. Knitting the stitches from the left needle to the right around and around and around only stopping when you get to the part in your pattern where you have to do something other than stockinette. So if you had to do increases or decreases or if you were working lace or cables or some color work then you would do those things just like you would if you were using straight needles. You’re going to go around and around, not stopping to turn the work because you’re not working on straights. You just continue going like a helix around and around and around and around until you have to do something.
This is different than working with magic loop where you have to change the needles from the front to the back to the front to the back of the work. So, this is how to work with circular needles using the traditional method.
