Knitting in the Round on Circulars

#1

Ok, I’m not really sure how to ask this question. :oops:

First of all, I am working on this pattern.

It is my first time knitting with circulars. (I’m also working on a Caps to the Capital hat, but it’s on DPN’s, and I haven’t gotten past the ribbing yet.) Anyway, so I just finished the ribbing, and now I’m just plain knitting for 3.5". I know that when you knit in the round on circulars, you automatically get stockinette stitch, right? Ok, so here’s my question. Which way is my “tube” of knitting supposed to be: in towards me, or out towards my knees? I am so confused because as I’m knitting, I notice that the right side of the fabric is facing towards me, and I thought that when making something tube shaped on circulars it was supposed to be facing downwards towards my knees. I don’t know what I did wrong. :shrug:

Am I knitting inside out? How is that possible? Did I do something wrong, and if so, how can I fix it? I’ll be really bummed if I messed up cuz I’ve worked on this all day. :pout:

Thanks in advance guys!

#2

Look near the bottom of this page. It shows you how to tell whether you’re knitting inside-out.

#3

well most people say that the needle tips should be pointing towards you and the cable away ( don’t really visualize this concept well but i guess i do it since i always end up with the “v” pattern on the outside) Generally when you are doing this, you should see the Vs on the outside. If you don’t and haven’t closed anything up or anything like that, you should be able to turn the work inside out and keep going. The way i remember how to hold the needles best for myself is that the working yarn should be coming off the right hand needle.

does that help?

#4

Crap! I’ve been knitting with the cable towards my body, and the needles away! :doh: But I don’t understand…the working yarn is coming off my right needle. I knit continental…does that make a difference?

Oh I’m so confused. :frowning:

#5

One way I saw it described recently (sorry I don’t remember who said it :blush:), is to think of the tube of knitting as a cup – your needles should be where you drink from.

That said, some people like to knit inside-out on purpose. If that’s what you’ve been doing, it’s perfectly fine. Just keep going.

#6

Also, if I face the needles towards me, how on earth am I supposed to be able to move the stitches around?? The link that Jane posted above says that knitting inside out is ok…will it matter once I get farther into the pattern? Would I have to change things to make it work? Because knitting with the needles towards me and the cable out seems very uncomfortable for me. :pout:

#7

Oh, yay!! Thank you so much! :slight_smile: So you think that as long as I’m consistent, it will be ok? I won’t have to modify the pattern or anything?

#8

Oh, yay!! Thank you so much! :slight_smile: So you think that as long as I’m consistent, it will be ok? I won’t have to modify the pattern or anything?[/quote]

Actually, I just edited my post (after you quoted me, sorry!) because I realized that you probably don’t have to be consistent. Because when I think about it, you’re knitting from left to right whether you are rigtht side out or inside out. So I think you could probably switch without a problem. Sorry for the confusion.

#9

Thanks Jane! I’ll just keep going the way I’m going then, because the other way felt unnatural to me. As long as I won’t have to modify the pattern or do it backwards or something, then I’ll just continue to knit this way. :happydance:

I appreciate the help! :slight_smile:

#10

Your work is probably inside out - just flip it around. Knitting continental doesn’t matter.

sue

#11

Wow! I had no idea I was knitting inside out. I thought that was the way to do it. I have made three sweaters that way with not problems. The next one I will try the right way. :oops:

#12

If it works for you, that’s okay too. Some people do them that way on purpose, like jane said.

sue

#13

if you are doing stockinette and the Vs are on the outside of the work then it isn’t inside out. I mentioned it never made sense to me that the needles were to be towards you because i think the needles are more away from me when i knit AND my work isn’t inside out unless i accidentally twist it inwards at the beginning.

Either way, do what works for you. it sounds like whatever you are doing works so i wouldn’t worry toooo much about changing it unless it becomes a problem.

#14

Thanks everyone! Turns out I actually wasn’t knitting inside out, lol. Like Brenda, my stockinette V’s are definitely facing outwards, it’s just that since I hold my needles more away from me, my tube is growing upwards instead of downwards, if that makes sense. But anyway it’s not inside out, so yay! :happydance:

I appreciate all the help! :hug: