Four Fabulous Tricks for Knitting in the Round (by Robyn Devine)

It may seem like an advanced move, but knitting in the round can be mastered by beginner knitters with ease. And by adding it to your knitting bag of tricks, you will open up an entirely new world – one of hats, sweaters, and socks!

Getting started with knitting in the round can seem tricky on the best of days, but with just a few tips and tricks you can be joining to work in the round in no time at all. When I began my circular needles journey, these four tips helped me immensely.

Trick #1 – Make sure your circular needle is shorter than your finished circumference. If you’re knitting a hat for a 20” head, grab 16” long circular needles. If you’re knitting a sweater for someone that’s 36” around, be sure you’re not using your 40” long needles. Seems self-explanatory, but I spent many frustrated hours fighting with needles that were just a bit too long for projects I was working on. When in doubt, go a bit shorter – you’ll never regret it!

Trick #2 – Cast on one extra stitch. When you join for working in the round, knit that last stitch you cast on together with the first stitch you cast on. You will have the correct number of cast on stitches, and you will have a much less noticeable join for your work.

Trick #3 – When casting on a large number of stitches, to ensure you don’t twist them (and create a Mobius on accident!) knit the first few rows of the pattern before joining. You’ll have a much clearer view of joining your stitches together, and you can use your tail to sew up that open spot later.

Trick #4 - Use a different color stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row. When you are using stitch markers to mark decreases, increases, pattern changes and the like be sure your “beginning of the row” marker is a different color, shape, or size. This will help you more easily distinguish it from your other markers.

With these four simple tips, you will find yourself knitting around and around before you know it! You can use this new-found skill to whip up some sweaters for all the folks in your life, hats to keep their noggins warm, and maybe even donate a few things to a local charity!

Keep on Knitting! (by Robyn Devine)

People often marvel that I’m able to complete as many knitting projects as I do. I didn’t think I was knitting all that much and then I started to add up what I’d gotten accomplished. From August until now I’ve finished over 50 items!

I haven’t always been this accomplished of a finisher but deadlines and a desire to push myself has proven very helpful. However, my strategy of being a stern, whip-bearing task-master, may not work for everyone.  I’ve come up with a handy list of five ways to finish more knitting projects.

Have a “project” bag you can take with you - Be sure you’ve got either a purse big enough to carry your project or a designated “project bag” you carry with you everywhere. This way you can knit while in line at the post office, while others are driving, while waiting for a child’s ballet class to get finished, etc. An extra five or ten minutes here and there will get you closer to your goal of finished knitting projects!

Keep it simple – This can mean knitting up a pair of stockinette stitch socks, letting self-patterning yarn do all the hard work for you or it could mean ribbed scarves. Figure out what you can knit blindfolded and let that stitch or project type dominate your “to knit” list. If you love to knit scarves then knit scarves.  You can give them to everyone for the holidays.  Don’t force yourself to knit items you’ll stress about and won’t enjoy!

Make it small – If you take a close look at the projects I’m finishing not one of them is large-scale. I don’t knit many sweaters and if I do they’re of the baby variety. Much of my knitting is hats, hats, hats. Many are for the One Hundred Hats project but I’m also getting into the habit of knitting hats for everyone around me. I’d love to be known as the hat lady passing out hats all year ‘round to friends, loved ones, and even strangers! By keeping my knitting small I’m able to bust through projects faster!

Keep a list – I find that I get more knitting done when I write out a list of what I’d like to accomplish. This works great around the holidays, or if you have several birthdays arriving at once. My “holiday knit list” has been a life-saver this season – I don’t have to wonder what’s next to make, I just consult the list! I’ve got everything from One Hundred Hats projects to gifts for friends and family added, so I’ve just been working down the list, one project at a time!

Set BIG goals – Sounds strange to “make it small” and “keep it simple” and also to set big goals but not to me! Deciding to knit One Hundred Hats was a huge goal and one I entered into quite lightly to be honest. I arbitrarily picked a number and a time-frame. It has really changed my life. I find I’m more goal-oriented now. I’m constantly thinking about my “main things” and I’m focusing my life around something I’ve become extremely passionate about.

People have asked me what I’ll do if I don’t make my goal. All I say is, “But I will make it!”!  That’s the only way I’ll allow myself to think about it. Setting this challenge is forcing me to focus.  My thinking about the best way for me to use my time has pushed me to not only knit One Hundred Hats but a lot of other items too.

Maybe you don’t want to set as big a goal for yourself.  Whatever goal you set for yourself be sure there’s a bit of danger to it.  You know, “Can I really do that?”  …and remember to always enjoy the ride!