Knitting in the round is the secret behind seamless sweaters, hats, socks and baby knits. You make a tube instead of a flat piece, so there is nothing to sew up when you finish. If you can knit and purl, you already have every skill you need.
This guide walks you through it on circular needles: choosing the right cable length, casting on, joining without a twist, and keeping track of where each round starts. You will also find the mistakes almost everyone makes the first time, and how to fix them.
What You’ll Need
- Circular knitting needles in the size your yarn label suggests
- Smooth, light-colored worsted weight yarn for practice
- Ring stitch markers, including one in a different color
- Removable locking stitch markers
- A tapestry needle for weaving in ends
- Small scissors
Why Knit in the Round?
When you knit flat, you turn your work at the end of every row, so the right side and wrong side take turns facing you. When you knit in the round, you never turn. The right side always faces you, and you just keep going in a spiral.
That brings two big wins:
- Stockinette is all knit stitches. No purl rows. Many knitters find their tension gets more even this way.
- No seams. Your sweater body, sleeves and yoke can all be knit as tubes and joined together, which is how most modern seamless sweaters are made.
Choosing the Right Circular Needle
A circular needle is two short needle tips joined by a flexible cable. The length printed on the package is measured from tip to tip. For knitting in the round, pick a needle that is a bit shorter than the circumference of your project. If the cable is too long, the stitches stretch and won’t reach around.
| Project | Typical circumference | Circular needle length |
|---|---|---|
| Baby hat | 14–16 in | 12 in (or magic loop) |
| Adult hat | 18–22 in | 16 in |
| Sleeves and cuffs | 7–14 in | Double-pointed needles or magic loop |
| Baby sweater body | 18–24 in | 16 in |
| Adult sweater body | 32–50 in | 24–32 in |
| Large yoke | 40–60 in | 32–40 in |
These are general guidelines. Always check your pattern, which may ask for a specific length.
For a first project, choose metal or wood tips with a smooth join, meaning the place where the tip meets the cable. A rough join snags every stitch and gets old fast.
How to Knit in the Round, Step by Step
Step 1: Cast on. Use the cast-on your pattern asks for. The long-tail cast-on is a good default. Cast on all your stitches onto the circular needle just as you would onto a straight needle.
Step 2: Spread the stitches out. Slide the stitches along the cable until they reach all the way around, from one tip to the other. They should sit snugly without being stretched.
Step 3: Check for twists. This is the most important step. Lay the needle on a table with the tips pointing toward you. Look at the bumpy cast-on edge. It must sit on the inside of the circle the whole way around, without spiraling over the cable anywhere. If you see a spot where it flips, roll it back gently until the whole edge lines up.
Step 4: Place a marker. Slip a ring marker onto the right needle tip. Use a marker that looks different from any others in your pattern. It marks the beginning of the round, often written “BOR” in patterns.
Step 5: Join the round. Hold the needle so the working yarn hangs from the right tip. The first cast-on stitch is on the left tip. Knit that first stitch, pulling the yarn snug. You’ve now connected the end of the cast-on to the beginning, and your work is a circle.
Step 6: Keep knitting. Work around and around. When you reach the marker, slip it from the left needle to the right needle and keep going. Each time you pass the marker, you’ve finished one round.
Step 7: Check after a few rounds. After 3 or 4 rounds, lay your work flat again. If the cast-on edge still sits neatly on the inside with no twist, you’re in good shape.
How to Read Patterns Worked in the Round
Patterns written for the round use “rounds” instead of “rows,” and stitch patterns change because you never turn the work:
- Stockinette: knit every round.
- Garter stitch: knit 1 round, purl 1 round.
- 1×1 rib: k1, p1 around. Every round is the same.
- 2×2 rib: k2, p2 around (your stitch count must be a multiple of 4).
If you’re adapting a flat stitch pattern, the wrong-side rows need to be flipped: what was a purl on the wrong side becomes a knit when worked from the right side.
Smoothing the Jog and the Join
Because rounds are really a spiral, the start of each round sits one row higher than the end. You’ll notice this as a small step, or “jog,” when you change colors or at the cast-on.
- For the cast-on gap: when you weave in the tail, thread it through the first cast-on stitch and back down to close the little gap.
- For stripes: on the second round of a new color, slip the first stitch purlwise without working it. This pulls the new color down and makes the step much less visible.
When Your Project Gets Too Small
Sleeves, cuffs and the top of a hat eventually get smaller than your shortest circular needle. You have three options:
- Double-pointed needles (DPNs): stitches are split across 3 or 4 short needles and you knit with a fifth.
- Magic loop: use one long circular needle (32 in or longer) and pull out a loop of cable at two points to split the stitches in half.
- Two circular needles: split the stitches between two circulars and work each half with its own needle.
All three make the same fabric. Try each and keep the one that feels comfortable.
Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
- A twisted join. If you notice it in the first round or two, you can sometimes rip back and rejoin. Once you’ve knit a few rounds, a twist can’t be fixed by untwisting, because the fabric has become a Möbius strip. Rip it out and cast on again. Checking carefully at Step 3 saves you this pain.
- Knitting inside out. If the purl side ends up facing out, you’re working on the far side of the circle. Make sure the working yarn comes from the right tip and that the knit side is on the outside of the circle facing you as you work.
- Ladders at the join or between needles. Loose stitches can form a column where your needles meet. Tug the first stitch after the gap a little firmer, or shift the needle boundary by a few stitches every so often.
- Stretched stitches on a too-long cable. If stitches won’t reach from tip to tip, switch to a shorter needle or use magic loop.
- Losing the beginning of the round. Always use a unique marker for the start, and keep it in place until the pattern tells you to move or remove it.
Tips
- Practice on a simple hat first. It’s small, quick and teaches every step here.
- Use a light, smooth yarn while you learn, so you can see every stitch clearly.
- Leave a long cast-on tail. You’ll use it to close the gap at the join.
- Count your stitches before you join. It’s much easier than counting later.
- Try a few rounds on interchangeable needles to test different cable lengths before you buy a full set.
- Once you’re comfortable, a seamless top-down sweater like the free Flax by Tin Can Knits (on Ravelry) is a natural next step. It’s knit entirely in the round, from baby sizes up to adult.
FAQ
Is knitting in the round easier than knitting flat?
For many people, yes. Stockinette needs only knit stitches, there are no seams to sew, and you never have to turn your work. The only new skill is joining without a twist, which takes a minute of care at the start.
Can I use a circular needle to knit flat?
Yes. Just turn your work at the end of each row like you would with straight needles. Many knitters use circulars for everything because the cable holds the weight of a big project in your lap instead of your wrists.
What size circular needle should I buy first?
A 16-inch circular in a US 7 or US 8 is a good first buy for worsted weight yarn. It works for most adult hats and small projects. Add a 24- or 32-inch needle when you’re ready for a sweater body.
Once you’ve knit your first round without a twist, a whole world of seamless sweaters, socks and baby knits opens up.