Often when using circular needles to knit in the round you may have a cord that is longer than the number of cast on stitches. The Magic Loop method allows you to easily use circular needles for projects with a smaller circumference, irrespective of how long the cord is.
Magic Loop is a technique for working in the round that avoids the use of double pointed needles. Using longer-than-usual circular needles, you can knit projects even with very small circumferences, like wee little socks, crowns of hats, cuffs of sleeves… the list goes on!
SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNIQUEThe idea behind the Square heel is the following: Heel flap – work back and forth on half the total number of all stitches. Heel turn – knit in short rows on the central third of the stitches. At the end of each row knit the last center stitch together with the next stitch.
Row 1: Knit to 1 stitch before the end of the heel, wrap and turn. Row 2: Purl to 1 stitch before the end of the heel, wrap and turn. Row 3: Knit to 2 stitches before the end of the heel, wrap and turn. Row 4: Purl to 2 stitches before the end of the heel, wrap and turn.
Gusset/Instep: This is the part of the sock that runs from the heel into the main part of the foot. It can normally be seen as a triangular shaped area where shaping either side of the foot decreases the number of stitches after a heel flap.
Knit your heel flap for 2.5 to 3 inches, depending on the size of the foot you're knitting it for. I shoot for about 2.75 inches for my feet, but I've got high arches. If you want to check out a good thread filled with a variety of sock knitters' insights on measuring the heel flap, I recommend this one.
Fish Lips Kiss Heel and Cascade Heritage Prints sock yarn. Pro: The Fish Lips Kiss Heel has no wraps to pick up and does not use the traditional heel flap and gusset, so it's an easier and quicker heel to complete. There's also no picking up stitches for a gusset, because there's no gusset! So simple.
It has a dimpled diamond stitch appearance and I just think it looks cool. The technique is very similar to the more common Slipped Stitch Heel flap (below). As with a lot of knitting stitches, the Eye of Partridge may be called something else. I've also seen it called V-Heel flap (below).
The 9-inch Hiya Hiya's arrived in a plastic zip bag with a product card. Also included was a bulb safety pin marker, which doubles as a stitch marker. At first glance, the needle looks impossibly tiny. The needle tips measure 1.75 inches and the cable is roughly 5.5 inches, making the whole needle exactly 9 inches.
Double point needles (often abbreviated dpns) are a very common way to knit socks, and probably the most common way you'll learn when you're starting out. In fact, it's the method I use in my Easy Peasy Sock pattern.
To cast on, hold two needles together so that the cast on stitches will be loose. If you have another way to cast on loose, use it. Cast on 56 stitches. This will make an average woman's size pair of socks on size 4-6 needles.
Sock WeightMost socks are knit using a size 1 or 2 needle, but you can also find sock patterns that are designed for heavier non-sock yarns. In addition to socks, you can knit up beautiful shawls using sock-weight yarn and these small needles.
Knitting will make the better socks, but crochet is much faster and easier, imo. You can crochet socks but they are really thick. Unless you want really thick, slipper-like socks.
40cm (16in) are useful for sleeves, hats and bodies of children's jumpers. 60 or 80cm (24 or 32in) work well for the bodies of sweaters for adults. 100, 120, 140 or 150cm (40, 47, 55 or 60in) are usually used for knitting large projects in the flat, such as the knitted edge a blanket.
To work rounds on circular needles, keep knitting in 1 direction going around the circle. You do not need to turn your work. To work rows on circular needles, knit back and forth across the rows and turn your work after each row. Make sure to keep the stitch marker in place if you are working rounds.
Change your needle to one with the same size but a shorter cable that fits inside your stitches. This is the most obvious solution. But not always the best. It can be a bit fiddly to knit with a really short cable, you don't have so much room to move your tips.
I've begun knitting mittens before and always ended up ripping out the stitches. I dislike DPNs so I used my nine-inch circular needles to knit most of the mitten.. DPNs were used for the decreases at the top of the fingers and the thumb (and also on the second mitten for the colorwork).
Knitting in the round is the only way to make a seamless knitted tube, be it a hat, pair of socks, mittens, even the body or sleeves of a sweater. Regardless, it is a great tool to have in your knitting toolbox. For learning purposes it is best if the circulars you use do not match.
You can try Magic Loop. You effectively shorten the cable by pulling out the excess cable on either side and only use the needles + as much as you need.
