How to Connect Three Needles to Make a Beanie

Double-pointed needles allow you to knit beanies in the round.

Many round items, such as beanies, are the wrong shape for you to knit on traditional needles, but too large for you to made on circular needles. When this is the case, you must use double-pointed needles to knit in the round. As their name suggests, these needles have a point on each end, which makes it possible for you to slide some of the loops off off one end onto a second double-pointed needle, then slide part of the remaining loops off the other end onto a third needle. Once these three needles are connected, you can then use a fourth needle to knit the beanie.

Things You'll Need

• 4 double-pointed needles

Instructions

1. Place the ball of yarn on your left and pull off a strand of yarn toward the right.

2. Make a loop near the end of the strand, then pass the tail of the yarn behind the loop from left to right.

3. Slide your needle over the strands forming the loop, but behind the tail. Pull the end to tighten the resulting slip knot around your needle.

4. Hold the needle in your left hand, then insert a second needle into the back of the loop and behind the first needle.

5. Wrap the working yarn, which is the one attached to the skein, around the back of your right needle, then loop it around the front, holding the working yarn in your right hand while you do so to give the strand tension.

6. Pull the right needle toward you, tilting it horizontally as the point nears the loop on your left needle to keep the working yarn wrapped around it. Pull the yarn on your right needle through the loop on the left so that there is a loop on each needle.

7. Transfer the loop on your right needle to the left needle. This is your first cast-on stitch. Cast on as many stitches as your beanie pattern calls for.

8. Slide your right needle through the front of the last cast-on stitch and in front of the left needle. Then, transfer the stitch to the right needle. Repeat this process until one third of your cast-on stitches are on the right needle.

9. Transfer one third of the stitches from the other end of your left needle onto a third needle. The three needles are now connected into a round, which will allow you to begin knitting the beanie with a fourth needle.