Knitting Flat on Circulars

#1

Hello! I’ve just ordered the set of Knitpicks Options circular needles, & am so excited to get them!

I have a few questions about using them though:
To knit something flat, I just keep the needle w/the yarn in my left hand like I normally do when using straight needles, & don’t connect the yarn as it goes around the cable?

I ordered a fixed circular in 16" to knit smaller things, is that small enough to knit scarves & dishtowels? I’ve read that trying to knit something smaller on a long cable can be a pain.

Also, if I were to knit an afghan, how long should my cable be? I’d like to try the January '09 issue of Creative Knitting’s easy afghan, but it doesn’t say how long the cable should be. It calls for 228 stitches to be cast on, so would a 32" cable be long enough?

Thanks!
~Jaime

#2

Yes to all your questions. To knit flat, just don’t connect your knitting. I find 24" to be just right for narrow things, with 16" there might not be enough flexibility. Knitting scarves on 36" or over is too long, though it can be done. And 32-36" would be fine for afghans.

#3

Nope, I find the opposite…knitting a “small/circ” easier than "large/circ…I can remember doing an afghan on circs using a “bulky” yarn…after an “established” number of rows, the project became very “heavy” and not easy to transport around. The project “rests” on the cable making it very “heavy”…just my thought…:hug:

#4

After the first time I saw a circular needle I never used a straight one again. No more awkward sticks poking out in all directions. I can jam my knitting into a bag and go without any concern about the work getting pulled off the needles, cuz it’s all safely down on the cable. Yes, sometimes cable length is a drag, but that’s only been an issue for me twice in the 20 years I’ve been using nothing but circulars.
I did have an issue with cats chewing on the cables and making them rough, but my husband used very fine sandpaper and smoothed them right out.