Needle Question

#1

Hello!

I have been knitting for about 4 weeks. I do enjoy it a lot. I have made the famous scarves, new knitters seem to always make. :slight_smile:

Anyways…I had a question or two… I feel a bit silly asking! So here it goes…

Why use circular needles? Are those for hats and socks? Or if you say were to try knitting an afghan, or a shawl…and it calls for a lot of cast on stitches, do you use really LONG needles? Or is that where circular needles come in to play?

Thanks for your help! I just joined today and hope to learn a lot from all of you guys! I LOVE the video help!

#2

Welcome!!

Circular needle are used to knit things in the round–in a tube–sweater bodies, sleeves, hats, etc. The needle can’t be longer than the circumference of what you’re knitting, though, so often you have to switch to double pointed needles to knit things in the round that are small. There are videos in the advanced techiques section of both.

Since straight needles only come as long as 14 inches, circulars are also used when you have a lot of stitches, as you said, but things are knit back and forth, just like with straights.

#3

Gotcha!

Thanks…

So when I begin the next project like an afghan…etc…I should invest in circular needles so I can collect all the stitches and knit back and forth instead of round?

Did that make any sense?

Thanks so much! xojenn

#4

If you want to knit an afghan in one piece, you’d have to do it on circs, otherwise there’s no way to hold all the stitches. :thumbsup: