Circular needles?, can I use straight needles?

[DeaMart]

I do not know how to use circular needles. So many of the patterns are for circular needles. Can straight needles be used instead?
DeaMart

[Shandeh]

I do not know how to use circular needles. So many of the patterns are for circular needles. Can straight needles be used instead?
DeaMart

If a pattern calls for circular needles, it might be knit in the round. If that's the case, circular needles would be necessary. Maybe you should try it sometime, just to see how it feels. You might like it! Maybe "trying circular needles" could be a New Year's resolution for you.

[Kaleigh]

If the project is in the round you could try knitting with double-pointed needles (DPNs). You'll be using 4-5 straight needles at once, and as long as you mark the beginning of your row, just as you would with circulars, they provide the same function. Some people ditch circulars for DPNs altogether!

[mary]

i didn't think I could do it either until I googled it and found many different how to video's. Try it, you might find a technique that you can use.!

[PTate]

I do not know how to use circular needles. So many of the patterns are for circular needles. Can straight needles be used instead?
DeaMart

The pattern may call for a cicular needle if you are working with a lot of stitches, you could be just knitting back and forth. I almost always use ciculars, less strain on wrist and not as app to have the basket goblin get your stitches off the needles

[Kaleigh]

I almost always use ciculars, less strain on wrist and not as app to have the basket goblin get your stitches off the needles

And if you take your knitting everywhere, your straight needles may not fit in your bag... circulars will! Right now I'm working on a project that asks for 5mm, and I started with straights but they seem to be longer than I am tall and stabbed out of my bag. I eventually switched to 16" circulars, and everything is dandy

[zhanie]

I use circulars for projects that don't require circulars and 4 double pointed needles for patterns that are circular. The reason I like the circulars is because I can just put my knitting down when I feel like it without losing any stitches. My experience with using circulars with patterns that require circulars is that I usually twist the pattern, or I don't buy the right length size and they are too small or too big.

[blankie]

I have started another baby blankie and I am using circular needles. The pattern states that I can use either but I have more "needle" length with the circular. My question is, after casting on 217 stitches, I noticed that 217 and 1 are joined together (hope this makes sense). Anyway am I supposed to cut that joined yarn? If I don't it will be like I am knitting a tube. Can anyone advise me what to do? BTW I have started knitting the first row and it is fun and not difficult at all : ).
Thank you for any help you can give me.

[LuckyRainbow]

I have started another baby blankie and I am using circular needles. The pattern states that I can use either but I have more "needle" length with the circular. My question is, after casting on 217 stitches, I noticed that 217 and 1 are joined together (hope this makes sense). Anyway am I supposed to cut that joined yarn? If I don't it will be like I am knitting a tube. Can anyone advise me what to do? BTW I have started knitting the first row and it is fun and not difficult at all : ).
Thank you for any help you can give me.

Joining just means bring those stitches together to create the "round". I use the tail of yarn to mark the beginning of the round for the first few inches. When I get far enough into the project to need a real round marker, I weave that tail into the first row.

I hope this is the info you need.

[Shandeh]

I have started another baby blankie and I am using circular needles. The pattern states that I can use either but I have more "needle" length with the circular. My question is, after casting on 217 stitches, I noticed that 217 and 1 are joined together (hope this makes sense). Anyway am I supposed to cut that joined yarn? If I don't it will be like I am knitting a tube. Can anyone advise me what to do? BTW I have started knitting the first row and it is fun and not difficult at all : ).
Thank you for any help you can give me.

If you're knitting a blanket, you will not want to join in the round.
You will just turn the work around at the end of the row, and knit back the other way.

In effect, you are knitting flat with a very long needle. Just remember to turn at the end of the row, instead of connecting to the beginning again.

If you want to knit "in the round", you WILL connect the last and first stitches, and will continue going round and round, never turning your work.