Knitting an afghan with circular needles

#1

Ok,

I found this pattern for a afghan in the current knit it! magazine. It’s for an easy striped afghan (pg. 70). I’m reading and it says to use a Size 9" circular needle (which I have) but I’m confused as to how to knit a flat afghan with circular needles.

The problem I see is that when I get to the end of a row there has to be a way to keep from “attaching” the rows end to end or else it’s going to be a circle blanket, and I’m pretty sure that it’s not. I’ve looked at a few places on-line but I can’t seem to find an answer. So hopefully someone here can tell me. I’ve run into a few afghan patterns that call for circular needles, so I guess i need to learn how to do it so I can make some of the others that I want to make.

Thank you for your help,
Jennmarie68

#2

Am I really going to try answering this? :oops:

Nope… bad idea! :doh:

#3

When you have finished a row the thread hangs at the end of this row, on the left edge of your work (you will look on the RS)

Now you have to turn your work so that the thread will be on the right edge of your work (you will look at the WS now) and then you can knit the next row without “attaching” the rows ends.

That’s all :smiley:

#4

To join on a circular needle the working yarn would be coming from the right hand needle. If you want to just knit back and forth make sure the working yarn is coming from the left needle for the first stitch just like when you knit on straights.

#5

When you get to the end of the row, simply switch the needle tips between hands (and flip the whole blanket over if necessary) and start knitting back the other way - just as if you had the project on straight needles. The reason circular needles are recommended for large projects is because they can accomodate more stitches than straight needles and because the work can easily rest in your lap so you don’t have it weighing down the ends of your straight needles. Just because you are working on a circular needle does not mean you have to just go around and around. Many knitters (including me) do much of our flat knitting on circular needles because we find them easier to use.

Hope that helped!

#6

Thank you, it makes sense now. I was thinking more along terms of slipping stitches or something like that. Just turning it around is such an easy solution. I usually make things much more difficult than they have to be.

Again thank you for the help. I’m sure I’ll be using all of your help again in the near future :slight_smile:

-jennmarie68