Hello Lovely Knitters…… Please can anyone help me?
I am knitting a baby cardigan, top down on circular needles. All is going well until the sleeves (aargh!!!).
Pattern says use small circular or DPNs, or larger circular needles for the magic loop method. I have never knitted in the round on circular needles, just used them to knit flat. I have looked at many online videos and am still clueless and confused. LOL.
Can I just knit the sleeves flat and join the seams? If yes, do I treat the round as a row, so for example it says knit 4 rows so I will I knit a row, purl a row, knit a row and purl a row etc? Also for the decreases it says to decrease on every 7th round, would this be every 7th row? Any help really would be appreciated. Thank you!
What is the name of your pattern and designer?
Do you pick up sts at the armholes for this pattern? You could do that with a larger circular and then knit back and forth on the sleeve. Yes, rounds would translate one for one into rows. The decrease every 7th row would mean decreases on the RS knit rows and later on WS purl rows but that’s do-able. You could also change the decrease frequency so that you’re always on a knit row if you prefer.
You might also give a try to knitting in the round with a small circular or dpns if not on this project then on something else? Maybe a hat or the crown decrease section of a hat would a good place to start.
Hello thank you so much for quick response. The pattern is Sweet Ruffle Edge Cardigan from Knit Paint Sew. The sleeves stitches are on scrap yarn. I’ll probably knit them on straight needles and treat every round as a single row.
Will definitely practice doing the magic loop to make a hat. Until I googled the magic loop I thought it was something you did at the beginning to make some kind of loop/knot thing🤣 Thank you so much😊
That really is a sweet sweater.
The sleeves won’t work on straight needles at least for the initial rows after the pick up. Circular needles of whatever length will work because you will have the extra play at the turn to work the WS rows. Once you’ve knit a couple of inches you can change to straights if you’d like.
It’s going to be adorable!
I usually change patterns to knit flat. For sleeves I usually add an extra knit stitch each end of the row for the seam which runs wrist to underarm or underarm to wrist in top down. This means noting down all stitch counts will be plus 2 between those two places, the sleeve cap doesn’t need the extra stitches. Adding 2 stitches means the sleeve won’t be smaller than intended (which might not matter) and any stitch pattern will run smoothly, for example a ribbed cuff.
There are 2 similar terms, which is what confused you. Magic Loop is a knitting technique to knit in the round with an extra-long cable; Magic Circle is a crochet technique for starting a circle from the center.
Do try knitting in the round at some point–it’s really not any more difficult than knitting flat, and sometimes it’s actually easier. There’s often less purling, for example, as to get stockinette you simply knit the whole time! But we’re all different, so whatever works for you is best.
One other thought and that is to make your decreases on the sleeves one or two sts in from the edges. That way you will have a nice smooth edge for seaming. It especially helps if you’re using mattress stitch but is nice for other kinds of seams as well.
Sorry another question 
When I knit the sleeves on circular needles as you suggested can I knit them flat?
(I don’t know how you knew sleeves wouldn’t work on flat needles. Im in awe!!!. Guess thats why you’re answering questions and I’m asking🤣)
I use up left over yarn to make hats for local hospital. Can you recommend a hat pattern in the round so I can try and a how to do it tutorial. Thank you …again!
You can use the circular needle to knit flat. The flexible cable will help at the top of the sleeve where the fabric is quite tight in the circumference and just won’t flatten enough for straight needles until you have worked some centimeteres away from the underarm. It can be tricky for a bit until it opens up. Then you can continue with the circulars, knitting flat, or switch to straight needles.
You can guess at how I know about not using straight needles. Been there…
This pattern has directions for knitting flat as well as in the round.
This one has directions for different yarn weights.
and here’s another for various sizes;
and one with a video (many more on Ravelry).
There are pages more if you search on Ravelry (free to join)
Thank you all so much for tips and tricks! I’ll let you know how it works out. I will definitely try a hat in the round…I’ll probably be asking you more questions then too. In the meantime…happy knitting!
I hope you will try circular knitting. It’s my favorite. I use the magic loop a lot so I can do any size circle, no matter how small. Working on socks right now! I did baby hats when I was learning. They are fantastic. I bought “Itty Bitty Hats by Susan Anderson (have made tons of hats from her simple designs). Here is my favorite designer/teacher website: knitpurlhunter.com. Her videos to teach techniques are fantastic!
My two cents - magic loop drives me mad. I hate the way the loop forces two stitches apart which - with fine yarn - you have to ease back into even-ness when you move on. MUCH prefer DPNs l. Do try them. Easy and intuitive. (Though I grant you it’s a pain when they slip between chair cushions - especially on planes!)
One thing that helps with magic loop is to use an even longer cable. It doesn’t force the stitches apart nearly as much as it does if the cable is JUST long enough to have an extra loop.