Monica Knits

Knitting socks with 4 double pointed needles was neither fast enough for me, nor conveniently portable. During transport in my project bag, stitches would slip off the metal needles I use. When a dog, sitting on my lap, nudged my knitting (aka neck scratching) hand, a needle occasionally slipped along with one or more stitches. Some new tools and techniques solved this problem. Read on.

I had long ago given up on knitting with circular needles - I had found the cables too stiff, and the knitting slower, but I was willing to give them another try, since my hand-knitted socks were so soft and comfortable that I wanted to quickly make a few more pairs to pamper my sore feet.

I purchased a book: "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles" by Cat Bordhi from the "Knit Picks" catalogue. I liked the book because it was concise, focussed on the topic I was interested in and had a good appendix (3 of my favorite knitting books were referenced).

In her book I found a couple of things unclear, so I created my own instructions for knitting socks with circular needles that better suits my knitting style. You'll find these under "Basic Socks".

From my local knitting store I bought a pair of bamboo circular knitting needles that were highly recommended. I found the rough edges both frayed the yarn I was using and slowed me down. Then I bought a pair of metal circular knitting needles recommended in the book. In brief, I found these too stiff and slow. I have since read a product review that paralleled my views on the design shortcomings of the particular brand.

I was dismayed. By happenstance, Knit Picks, did an article describing the design of their circular needles. Both their interchangeable and classic circular needle features addressed my design concerns so I ordered some needles to try. I have since purchased many more of their needles and cables, because of the exceptional performance. There has been the occasional quality problem, but the company has been good about replacing defective items. (One pair of needle tips arrived missing the threads to connect to the cable ends.)

After I got the hang of knitting with 2 circular needles, I could finish a pair of socks in 4 evenings, while sitting on the couch with my husband and our dogs. I knit a coat (top-down, in the round) during 6 days of my Christmas vacation and the circular needles made all the difference--the weight was evenly distributed across two needles, the stitches glided along the needles and almost knit themselves. Since the tips are relatively short, there is no strain on hands having to carry the weight of many stitches of a coat. I'm hooked on circular needles!

Although I now use circular needles more often than my straight or double-pointed needles, there are specific tasks for which I prefer traditional needles. Refer to "My Needle Choices" to see how I select needles for projects.

There is one consequence to using circular needles so much. When I now use double pointed needles, I occasionally drop the needle at the end of a row--an automatic, efficient habit with circular needles, but not with straight needles! Of course, I immediately drop out of autopilot when I hear the ping of the needle hitting the floor. I smile as I bend over to pick up the needle and continue knitting.

Related Articles
My Knitting Needles
My Sock Needle Choices
Knitting Needle Cross-Reference Chart