Hello.
I know this is a super basic question, but what is the benefit of “joining in the round”, especially say, in a simple knitted hat?
I’ve seen some experienced knitters do this technique and some just skip it and go right to K1, P1. Both seem to turn out ok.
Wondering what the purpose and benefits are?
Thank you.
I’m not sure what the real question is but I can think of several reasons for me: first, in most circumstances that I can think of, it is mostly just knitting, I’m not a great fan of purling. To me I’m much slower with purl rows. Next in the case of a hat, then you would have to seam it. Also not high on my list of “likes”. I just like going “round & round. It doesn’t require a lot of thinking, For example socks. I like the leg and then the foot portion cause you can just cruise with it. I do enjoy the heel cause it seems like something special to watch it transform, but I’m glad when I get past it.
But also I’m not a real experienced knitter, so I am thinking just basic stuff.
Joining in the round and working a knit row before the ribbing? It may be just a design feature on the part of the pattern designer. I’ve only seen a few patterns that call for it. You can do it that way or go on to the rib immediately as you prefer.
Hello
I think even just going directly onto k1 p1 is still “joining” as it means you are no longer knitting back and forth in the flat but have joined the last stitch of a row to the beginning edge to work I rounds.
There are a few different techniques for joining an perhaps those are what you refer to when you ask what the benefits are.
I have not doing much in the round but a top I made, bottom up, I wanted a small colour change along the bottom edge so I followed a method of helical knitting for colour work in the round for that beginning section. If I had not then there would have been a “jog” each time the colour changed.
Joining using different techniques is a way to avoid a jog in the knitting whether there is colour work or whether you just don’t want the hem or edge to have an uneven join. Joining last stitch to first stitch actually places the last stitch above, not in the same row as, the first stutch so there is a jog.
If you want to work in stripes each colour change needs attention to avoid the join and this is not just at the first join but later too.
I’m not sure what happens with lace and cables in the round as I have not tried these (actually there was a lce update on the top I made but I have no memory of how it was worked!). There might be some jog there too. I think some patterns are written to avoid this but I’m not experienced enough to explain it.
Some knitters aren’t bothered by the bottom edge and some are, it’s personal.
Oh I guess I really did not understand that question at all. But after seeing salmonMac response, I can say this. I once took a class and the person suggested a knit row before the ribbing to give the piece more stability before starting ribbing. So I do that quite frequently.
That’s interesting, KnittinGigi and good to know. I’ve only seen one pattern recently that called for a knit round after the cast on and before the rib. It looks nice but I never thought of stability as a reason.
(I’m not sure that was the original poster’s question but it leapt to mind.)
I use that knit row in all my cuff down socks using dpn. I think it helps and prevents twisting while getting started.
Makes sense, thanks!
Humor me, I’m new at this-but what is a "jog?
I think this is probably what the author of the piece was getting at. Just a guess.
I found a solid video that explains it: it seems to be linked mainly to the concept of “seamlessness”.
A jog. When you knit flat and seam up afterwards all the rows line up (ok not all, shaping for setting in sleeves would have some not totally lined up rows due to the nature of the fabric, but let’s talk just straight edges, main body of a sweater for example). The bottom row of one piece ines up exactly with the bottom row of the second piece, the sewn join can look invisible. If you knit in stripes of colour the stripes line up easily row by row.
When knitting in the round you get to the end of of the first round and when you work the first stitch of the second round it sits up in the “row 2” line of work, not down jn the “row 1” line of work. The knitting is like a spiral each new round sitting up a row higher.
It means there is a small misalignment at the cast in edge of the work. Many people don’t mind this, many people use one of the various tips for joining which avoid or reduce the visibility of the slight misalignment.
It means if you knit stripes of colour there would be a visible misplacement where a change of colour sits up on top kf the previous round. Again many people don’t mind or will use one of the tips and tricks to avoid or reduce how the jog looks.
There are various videos for jog, no jog, knitting in the round, or jigkess stripes in the round.
It’s just the nature of knitting and how you prefer your fabric to look or how you prefer to work.