Joining Tips for Circular Knitting?

#1

HI folks,
I was given a Denise interchangeable knitting set for Christmas and so far I’ve been zipping up lots of items with them doing straight knitting. I’ve now got the feel of them and they are fabulous to work with. Now it’s time to attempt my first circular pattern. I’ve been trying to find as many tips as I can on eliminating the gap or hole at the first join. Naturally now that I’m looking for tips I can’t find any in detail… I’ve read that casting on an extra stitch and then K2tog can work but I haven’t found this successful. I also read something about slipping the first cast on stitch to the L hand needle and bringing the last cast on stitch through it to the R hand needle with a crochet hook to get a tight twist? If anyone has some tips that really work I’d be so grateful as I’m ready to go with my 2nd handbag pattern!

#2

well what I do is cast on one extra stitch and slip the last stitch to the right needle, knit the next stitch, and pass the slipped stitch over. and then if there is a tiny little gap left i stitch that up with the tail when i am done.

#3

Thank you for that tip. I’ll give it a try - it sounds like just the ticket!
cheers! Jan

#4

Wow, Brendajos! That’s such a great tip! I’ve been knitting with circs for awhile now and usually always end up with one baggy stitch. Next time, I’m going to try it your way. Thanks!

#5

i can’t take credit for it…i am pretty sure i learned it from Femmy! or at least that is what i understood her method to be when i read it! :rofling:

#6

I’ve never had trouble with a gap when joining on circular needles. I’ve only had the problem on DPNs. Give it a try, you may not have a problem at all.

#7

DPN s?!!! :shock:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Don’t you have to have a degree in porcupine wrestling first?
:roflhard:

The closest I’ve gotten to DPNs is to gawp at them from a safe distance in the shop - after I’ve checked that they’re still tightly wrapped up in hard plastic and card.

One day I’ll have a mad moment I’m sure and have a go, but for now I’m happy to keep stabbing away with circulars - to date they haven’t tried to bite me.

Thanks for encouraging me though, that’s what I like so much about this forum.

best wishes,
Jan (yep, me too!)

#8

DPN s?!!! Shocked
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Don’t you have to have a degree in porcupine wrestling first?

:roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard:

I actually used them successfully the first time this week, but I don’t plan on making it a habit. I’d rather use magic loop or two circs for small diameter knitting. :wink:

#9

I’d rather use magic loop or two circs for small diameter knitting. :wink:

I’m just coming across these 2 methods - I’ll definitely try them when I’ve got into the swing of circulars (doing an impression of Twister without the coloured dots). I haven’t been knitting that long and am self taught so there’s an element of mind over matter in trying new techniques but it’s worth the effort.

I’ll be back looking for 2 Magic Circular Loops and a Rabbit in a Hat tips!

:wink:

thanks, Jan

#10

I knit the first, “joining”, stitch using both the working yarn and the cast-on tail; then drop the cast-on tail and use only the working yarn for subsequent stitches. I’ve really been satisfied with the result!

#11

I do nearly the same thing as brendajos… but I knit the last and first stitch together. I have also knit the first row or so flat, and then joined so that I can see that my stitches aren’t twisted. The tail of my cast on neatly sews up this little gap.

#12

What an interesting idea! I think there are lots of workable ideas here and I intend to try them all to see which one I’m most comfortable with. This one is quite unique and if it works for me it’ll make a secure start/finish too! Thanks so much for that!
cheers,
JAN

#13

I was reading the readers TIPS page on the LION BRAND webpage and a longtime knitter there said that she does this and knits up flat for about the first 4 rows, then joins up. I wondered if the tension would be affected at all, but she seems happy as larry with this technique so it must work. Perhaps this is a good way to start a pattern in a bulky yarn (which is what I’m doing right now and it’s been a struggle at first to find the right length of circulars and to get the round started). I think I would prefer to do it your way and have only one row to sew up.
IS THERE A KNITTER ALIVE WHO LIKES SEWING UP??? :thinking:
I’m certainly NOT one!
thanks again for your help here!
regards, jan

#14

How much I do flat all depends on what the project is. For socks, I will do only one row. For the poncho I recently made for my DD {bottom up}, I did up the seed stitch border flat, which was about 4 rows I think, and then joined it just as I was starting the stockinette part. Since the “gap” is right where the tail is from my cast on, it’s nothing to sew this up, because I count it as part of weaving the end in… clear as mud?