Knitting on circulars

How-to Questions
1

I’m fairly new to knitting. I’m knitting a boy’s vest in the round. I am at the point where I divide for armholes and begin the back. I’ve been doing the stockinette stitch, knitting every row on the circular needles. Now it says I will be working back and forth on the back stitches (only 46). The pattern says when knitting back and forth to knit one row and purl the next.
I have two questions:

  1. My right side has been on the inside of the needles from the beginning and looks fine. Someone told me that it should have been on the outside. Is this a problem?

  2. I don’t understand where it says I’ll be going back and forth. How do I do that on circular needles? Do I just change hands with the needles as on straight needles or do I have to flip the whole vest over the needles.

I hope I made myself clear. Thanks for any help!

2

Technically, your knit side should be on the outside, but it’s ok–you can just flip it inside out.

When you switch to knitting back and forth, put half the stitches on a spare circular needle, large needle holder, or spare piece of yarn. Then you can knit back and forth using your circs as if they were straights. When that side is done, put the stitches that were on hold on your needles and finish up.

3

Thanks Ingrid,
One more question ( I’m so frightened to make a mistake b/c I know I"ll never be able to correct it). When I flip it inside out, as you said, is this before I start working back and forth or do you mean at the very end?

4

I think I’d flip it inside out now, when you start working back and forth. I don’t know if it would make a difference in the end, but just in case.