Knitting using a circular needle.

Four double pointed knitting needles.

Knitting on double points.

The earliest image of circular knitting, from the 15th century AD.

Circular knitting or knitting in the round is a form of knitting that creates a seamless tube. When knitting circularly, the knitting is cast on and the circle of stitches is joined. Knitting is worked in rounds (the equivalent of rows in flat knitting) in a spiral.^[1] Originally, circular knitting was done using a set of four or five double-pointed needles. Later, circular needles were invented, which can also be used to do circular knitting: the circular needle looks like two short knitting needles connected by a cable between them. Machines also do circular knitting; double bed machines can be set up to knit on the front bed in one direction then the back bed on the return, creating a knitted tube.^[2] Specialized knitting machines for sock-knitting use individual latch-hook needles to make each stitch in a round frame.^[3]

Many types of sweaters are traditionally knit in the round. Planned openings (arm holes, necks, cardigan fronts) are temporarily knitted with extra stitches, reinforced if necessary. Then the extra stitches are cut to create the opening, and are stitched with a sewing machine to prevent unraveling.^[4] This technique is called steeking.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further reading

• Zimmermann, Elizabeth. (1972). Knitting Without Tears. New York: Simon and Schuster. (Reprint Edition ISBN 0-684-13505-1)
• Rutt, Richard (2003). A History of Handknitting. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press. (Reprint Edition ISBN 1-931499-37-3)
• Hiatt, June Hemmons. (1989). The Principles of Knitting: Methods and Techniques of Hand Knitting. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0671552336
• Allen, Pam, Trisha Malcolm, Rich Tennant, and Cheryl Fall. (2002) Knitting for Dummies. New York: Hungry Minds, Inc. ISBN 978-0764553950
• Breiter, Barbara, and Gail Diven (2003) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting Illustrated, 2nd Edition. New York: Alpha Books. ISBN 978-1592570898

[edit] External links

• "Large and Small Diameter Circular Knitting videos" from KnittingHelp

v • d • e Knitting Tools and materials Knitting needle · Knitting needle cap · Needle gauge · Stitch holder Yarn styles Bouclé · Eyelash · Novelty · Variegated Yarn brands Lion Brand Styles Circular · Combined knitting · Continental knitting · English knitting · Flat · Warp knitting · Weft knitting Stitches Decrease · Dip stitch · Elongated stitch · Increase · Plaited stitch · Yarn over Techniques Basketweave · Bead knitting · Bias knitting · Binding off · Bobble · Brioche knitting · Buttonhole · Cables · Casting on · Double knitting · Drop-stitch knitting · Entrelac · Faggoting · Finger knitting · Gather · Grafting · Hemming · Lace · Medallion knitting · Picking up stitches · Pleat · Ribbing · Shadow knitting · Short row · Slip-stitch knitting · Spool knitting · Three needle bindoff · Tuck · Uneven knitting · Weaving · Welting Patterns Aran · Argyle · Fair Isle · Intarsia Machine knitting Complete garment knitting · Fully-fashioned knitting · Knitting machine · Stocking frame Knitters and designers Nicky Epstein · Kaffe Fassett · Knitters in literature · Marianne Kinzel · William Lee · Gwen Matthewman · Shannon Okey · Stephanie Pearl-McPhee · Alice Starmore · Debbie Stoller · Meg Swansen · Barbara G. Walker · Elizabeth Zimmermann Related Basic knitted fabrics · Blocking · Dye lot · Gauge · History · Knitta · Knitted fabric · Knitting abbreviations · Knitting on airplanes · Selvage · Steek · Stitch 'n Bitch

This textile arts article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e