How to Join Knitting in the Round

How To Join Knitting In The Round? While knitting in the round is a fun and quick way to make your hat, joining your stitches is the epitome of successful knitting. 

If you are not careful when knitting in the round, you could end up with notches or gaps in the joint areas. These may damage the aesthetic value of your hat.

After learning how to knit a hat, ensure that you understand how to join the cast on stitches well. This will help you avoid common mistakes in knitting in the round that may cost you the beauty of your hat. 

Different  Ways To Join When Knitting in The Round

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Joining stitches while learning how to start knitting in the round might sound like a complicated process that requires you to learn new knitting techniques. 

Far from it. This is one of the easiest and beneficial skills you can master with regular practice. 

Here’s a list of things you will need when joining in the round.

List of Items for Joining in the Round

Needles (DPNs or circular needles Stitch markers  Quality yarn

There is more than one way to go about it, as we have outlined below.  

Tip: Before you start joining your cast-on stitches, ensure that the cast-on edges are not twisted. 

Whenever you arrange your cast on edges on your needle, place them on a flat surface such that they form a circle. The bottom part of your cast on the edge should be inside the circle. 

This is one of the mistakes you cannot undo without unraveling your project, so be keen. 

Method 1

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1. 1. Cast on the number of stitches you will require for your knitting project
   2. Place your stitches in a circle, attaching your working yarn to the stitches on the right. When using a marker to mark the beginning of your project, palace the marker on the right needle. 
   3. If your first stitch is a knit, move your yarn to the back of your project. Likewise, when the first stitch is a purl, move your yearn to the front of your work. 
   4. Work on your first stitch
   5. Tug on the working yarn to tighten your stitch and close the gap between your first and last stitches. 

Your stitches are now joined, and you can continue working on your project. 

As you knit, you will realize that this method leaves small gaps between the first and the last stitches. This is not a major issue, but if you want a perfect project, even the edge when you weave in the cast on the tail as described in the second method. 

Method 2

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1. 1. Cast on your desired stitches for your project
   2. Arrange your stitches in a circle and ensure that your working yarn is on the right side of the work. It is easier to tighten your stitches when your yarn is on the right side. 
   3. Move  your working yarn to the back of your work
   4. Slip the first stitch on the left needle to the right needle. 
   5. Put the tip of your left needle into the second stitch on the right needle and pass it over the first stitch on the right needle. Keep both stitches on the needles. 

If you are using a marker, place it on the right needle. 

1. 6. Make the first stitch 
   7. Pull on the working yarn to tighten the first stitch. It will also close the gap between your first and last stitch. 

Method 3

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This method is different from the other two because you will be binding off on one stitch. 

1. 1. Make as many casts on stitches as you need for the project, then make an extra one. For instance, if the pattern instructed you to make 72 stitches, make 73. 
   2. Arrange your stitches in a circle and leave the working yarn on the right side. 
   3. Take your working yarn to the back of your work.
   4. Remove the stitch from the left needle and slide it on the right needle. 
   5. Slide the tip of your left needle on the second stitch on your right needle, and pass it over the first stitch on the right needle and off the needles like binding the stitch. 

If you are using a marker, put it on the right needle. 

1. 6. Work your first stitch
   7. Tug on your working yarn to close the gap between the first and last stitches. 

Method 4

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1. 1. Cast on the stitches you need for the project and add an extra one. 
   2. Organize your stitches to form a circle, with the working yarn being on the right side of your work. 
   3. If your first stitch is a knit, take your working yarn to the back of your work. If your first stitch is a purl, bring your working yarn to the front of your work. 
   4. Take a stitch from your right needle to the left (the last stitch you cast on). If you will be using a marker, place it on the right needle. 
   5. Depending on your pattern, knit or purl two stitches together. 
   6. Pull on the yarn slightly to tighten the first stitch. 

Method 5

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This is a unique way to join stitches when knitting in the round. 

It is not for all cast on stitches, as it only works for those with a tail next to your first stitch (for instance, knitted or cable cast-on). It does not work for the long tail cast on and other cast ons based on the long tail. 

This method is different because you can place your working yarn on either side of your work. You can watch a tutorial on how to hack this method. 

1. 1. Cast on all the stitches you would need for your project with no extra stitches. 
   2. Arrange your stitches in a circle and if you are using a marker, place it on the right needle. 
   3. Align your tail and your working yarn and use them to make the first stitch. 
   4. Pull on the yarn to seal the gap between your first and last stitches. 
   5. Release the tails and continue knitting in the round using only the working yarn. 

How to Join Knitting in the Round with Circular Needles

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If you love knitting with circular needles, you should know how to join yarn to knit in the round. You will need:

• • Circular needles
  • Yarn
  • Stitch marker 

Follow the following steps to get a well-joined project after learning how to knit a scarf, hat, or mitten in the round. 

1. 1. Slide your right needle through the first loop on the left needle. 

Always ensure that your stitches are not twisted. They should all be upright, and the cast on edge should be on the bottom part of your work. 

After inserting your right needle in the first stitch on your left needle, lift the stitch off and slide it onto the right needle. Leave it there. 

1. 2. Lift the stitch off (the one you slid onto your right needle) and put it over the firsts slipped stitch and onto the left needle. The stitch now stays on the left needle. 
   3. Slide your left needle onto the original first stitch on the right needle, ignoring the stitch you’ve just slid. 
   4. Lift the stitch in step 3, off and over the first skipped stitch on your left needle. That stitch now stays on the left needle. 
   5. The two stitches you lifted will be criss-crossed and will be the base for your knitting in the round for your project. 

Put a marker on the right needle to mark the beginning of your project. The stitch on your left needle becomes the first stitch and the beginning of a round. 

Repeat steps 1 to 5 every time you finish a round and need to start another one in your project. 

If this still seems complicated, watch a tutorial on how to hack it. 

How To Join In Knitting In The Round with Double Needles

If you only know how to join in the round with circular needles, using double-pointed needles can seem like an uphill task, but it could be an exciting project, just like learning how to make a chunky blanket. 

So, how do you make a perfect join with all those needles?

No matter how intimidating DPNs look, you will need them for projects with a cord that are too small for circular needles. They can also come in handy for bigger projects if you do not have circular needles. 

You will need:

• • Yarn
  • 4 DPNs
  • Stitch Marker

Once you learn how to join in the round with DPNs, you can make some amazing items. Learn how to knit socks and put your newly learned skills to work. 

1. 1. After making your cast-on stitches on the first DPN, slide them onto the second DPN. Slip them as if you are purling them. 
   2. Get your third needle and transfer up to 12 stitches from the second needle. 
   3. Ensure your working yarn is on the right side as you start to work on joining the stitches. The three needles should have the letter U (if you are using four DPNs), but you can use up to 5 DPNs; it is all a matter of preference.

PS: Always check that your stitches are not twisted. 

1. 4. Insert your right needle into the first stitch in your left needle. 
   5. Lift the stitch and slide it off the left needle and onto the right needle. If you do not know how to do this, explore how to cast off knitting and learn the tips you need.  
   6. Slide your left needle onto the first stitch on your right needle. Lift it over the slipped stitch, slide it off the right needle, and put it on your left needle. 
   7. The two stitches you have transferred join your work in the round. 
   8. Take the working yarn and use your fourth DPN to knit in the round on all three needles. 

Where you place your stitch marker when working with DPNs is different from how you do it with circular needles. 

At the start of your round, make one stitch, place your marker, and work the other part of the round. 

After completing the first round, you can notice where to start your second round because you left one stitch before the marker. 

The last stitch before your marker should be the first stitch in your next round. 

How To Avoid Twisting When Knitting In The Round

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One thing that stands out when joining as you knit in the round is that twisted stitches could cost you your whole project. 

So how do you avoid the possibility of undoing your beautiful project because of one disastrous mistake?

The first strict is assessing all your cast on stitches and ensuring that they have the same orientation on the needle. 

If you are having trouble with this step, learn how to cast on knitting.

All the loopy bits formed when casting on the stitches should be inside the circle you create with your circular needles and with no twists on the edge. 

Once you confirm the positioning of your stitches, you can join and knit your scarf or other projects, as your pattern illustrates. 

It is easy to spot a twist in your stitches because your knitted tube will not go up. Sadly, the only way to fix this mishap is to rip it out and start over your project. 

Alternatively, you can use your twist as a feature of the design on your scarf, but this trick won’t work with socks, mittens, and hats. 

How to Mark the End When Knitting In The Round

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While knitting in the round can be one of the most fun knitting projects, you can easily forget where the round begins. 

For this reason, you should always have a stitch marker to mark the first stitch in the round. 

Place your stitch marker on the right-hand needle before you start working on your project and after you make the join if you are crossing stitches. Your marker will mark the end of the row, which helps you keep track of your pattern with the subsequent rounds. 

A stitch marker placed on the needle can fall off when you stop knitting after it. Place the marker before your last stitch to secure it (the marker). 

Some knitters prefer to knit the first stitch of the subsequent round before placing the work down. If you follow this strategy, you only have to remember what you did before continuing on the project. 

You can also use a stitch marker that can be looped around a stitch instead of staying on the needle. You need to move this type of marker up every few rounds so you can still see and use it. This strategy helps you avoid losing your marker if you stop knitting after slipping the marker. 

Conclusion

Knitting in the round can be a nightmare if you do not know how to join in the round or keep twisting your cast-on stitches. 

If you know how to knit a sweater in the round, you would not want to mess up the pattern with gaps and twisted stitches. 

Once you master the different joining methods while knitting in the round, you are set to enjoy every step of your knitting journey. 

You can confidently learn how to knit other items in the round and be sure they will have beautifully joined stitches. You can also take up other exciting projects, such as learning how to finger knit. 

Here’s a summary of the different knitting projects you can learn and which knitting methods you need to learn. 

Knitting in the Round	Straight Knitting
Hats  Mittens Socks Sweaters	Scarves Shawls Hats