How to Knit With Two Circular Needles

Knitting in the round is a convenient way to knit. The circular knitting needle provides a flexible alternative to straight needles, allowing knitters to make hats and parts of sweaters in one continuous piece. If you combine two circular knitting needles you can knit smaller items, like mittens and socks, and make a continuous, seamless piece. Otherwise, smaller knit pieces are made using double-pointed needles. The only difference between using double-pointed needles and circular needles is ease of use. Double-pointed needles divide stitches between three or four needles and an additional, loose needle is used to knit the stitches. Using circular needles, there's only two needles and they stay connected to your piece the entire time. The stitches are divided between the two needles, but unlike with double-pointed needles, the stitches never are transferred between needles. The connecting cord of circular needles becomes a flexible stitch holder when the needle is not in use.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pattern for sock or mitten Yarn Two sets of the same size circular needle (length can vary but see warning)

1. 

   Cast on to one circular needle the required stitches for your pattern.

2. 

   Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand and the second circular needle in your right hand. Slip half of the stitches from the left needle to the right needle as if you were purling each stitch.

3. 

   Before you join the ends to begin the first row, make sure the stitches have not twisted and the "braid" points down. Place the two needles next to each other. The needle with the excess yarn should be closest to you (long needle). Carefully remove the last stitch from the needle farthest from you (short needle) and place it on another needle end. Remove the last stitch on the needle closest to you and place it on the back needle. Now place the stitch you removed from the back needle on the needle closest to you. Pull tight to reduce the gap between the ends.

4. Begin the first round on the needle closest to you. When you get to the end of the stitches on the needle, pull the needle through so the stitches rest on the cord while you knit with the second needle.

5. Continue the first round on the second needle. Now you're knitting the second half of the round. When the round is finished, pull the needle through so the stitches rest on the cord.

6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 as you follow the pattern. If there are decrease rounds, continue using the circular needles. You do not need to switch to double pointed needles.

Tips & Warnings

• After completing the stitches on each circular needle, pull the needle end through all of the stitches so the stitches rest on the center cord of the needle. As you start the first stitch on the next needle, pull the last stitch and new stitch tightly together to eliminate a gap forming where the needle ends are. You can finish a piece you knitted with a circular needle, like a hat, with a second circular needle instead of using a set of double pointed needles. Knit the second circular needle into half of the stitches of the piece then proceed with the decrease rounds.
• You can knit with circular needles that have different lengths as long as the smallest length will fit around the circumference of the piece.

References

• Soft and Simple Knits for Little Ones; Heidi Boyd; 2007