circular knitting when item starts getting very narrow

by Mary
(North Carolina)

Question: I am in the process of trying to teach myself how to knit but I can't find the answer to this problem: when I am knitting a long stocking cap and I am getting close to the bottom most narrowest section (decreasing stitches), my circular needles are too "long" (even though they are the shortest cable I could find), and to continue I have to try to stretch the yarn from one needle to the next to complete a stitch and it starts to look terrible. Plus it can't possibly stretch any more. Am I supposed to switch to straight needles or what? I am stumped! Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Mary

Answer: Hi Mary, Thank you for the question. There are several ways of decreasing when knitting in round. You can use double-pointed needles, a very long circular needle, or two medium length circular needles. The easiest one for me is using dpn because I'm used to doing it that way.

Using dpn is might be little difficult to manipulate at first, but it'll get better. I'm adding example of knitting with dpn Youtube videos here for you to see.

And here is techniques using two circular needles.

And here is a techniques using one long circular needle.

I hope you find these techniques helpful. Now you have to decide what method you want for your project.

Happy Knitting!

Ratcha




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Update on 1/21/13

I just added my own video;
How to work with 2 long circular needles and dpn when decreasing or working with a crown of a hat.