Circular knitting or knitting in the round is a form of knitting that creates a seamless tube. Work in the round is begun by casting on stitches as for flat knitting but then joining the ends of that row of stitches to form a circle. Knitting is worked in rounds, which forms the tube by winding around in a helix.
Knitting in the round is essential for going beyond the basics.
You might think that it’s scary or complicated, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Knitting in the round is one of the easiest techniques to master.
What are Circular Needles?
First thing’s first: let’s talk needles.
Regular “flat” needles have a point on one end and a stopper on the other. They’re probably the first needles that you encountered as a new knitter.
Circular Needles vs Regular Needles
Circular needles are meant to do what regular knitting needles cannot: knit a seamless round tube.
While flat needles are great at knitting two-dimensional objects like squares and rectangles (think: scarves), circular needles are designed to knit three-dimensional tube-like things.
Think about hats, sweaters, socks, and mittens. These are all things that have some element of a tube.