Knitting excitement here!!!!

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Thanks for all the encouragement and help you have all given me. I have officially started a sock! I am excited about it. I also have a question about circulars.

I got some circulars this weekend -- size 4 and size 6. They are both 29" I think -- really long. I didn't realize about the length and such until I started trying to do a hat. Ummm, kind of long. So, are these going to be useful for me at all? Any suggestions for a project with these? I also have a LOT of Lion Brand Homespun to use. I got a bunch for a project, started it, and it didn't make me love it:( SO now I need to find other things to do with all this Homespun I have.

Thanks!:D

[erica471]

I don't have any advice on the circular needles as I use dpns for socks, but I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on starting the first sock. I started knitting mainly because I wanted to knit socks. They were so intimidating, but really once you get it, you get it. Now, I knit almost exclusively socks!!

[Mom2legomaniacs]

Oh, I didn't make that clear, did I? I am using dpns for the socks. I also picked up some circulars and haven't a clue! I am figuring out the dpns quite well so far. A bit awkward and clumsy, but not bad. I am just doing a K2P2 pattern for the leg part. When I get to the next phase, you'll likely hear me screaming! It looks hard -- the heel and all.

[shell in SC]

Circulars are used for afghans, sweaters. . .anything where the length of your row is going to be long.

HTH
shell

[Kiva, SouthernGirlMusings]

Congratulations!!! The circulars can also be used for sweaters, capelets, and items like that where you will need the length but normally the needles are a larger size. Some people use circulars as regular needles so you have options. Enjoy the knitting journey and share your socks when you finish. :)

[PariSarah]

I'm wearing a pair right now, lest I freeze to death in my inexplicably frigid library carrell.

Long circs can be used in a number of ways. They're necessary for big projects in the round (so, your hubby's sweater, not a hat) and big projects back and forth (like an afghan--would you really want two-thirds of an afghan dangling off the end of a straight needle?).

There's also a sock technique called "Magic Loop," where you actually knit the sock with a single long circular. (I've never even seen it done, so I have no idea what it involves.) I use a technique involving two circulars, which means you need two circs of the same size, so in the sock-weight sizes, I usually have one short circ (16") and one long circ (29"). You can google information on either of those--it's all over the net.

I use circs even when they're not strictly necessary, just because they're easier on my wrists, easier to pack up and carry, just generally easier to use. (Plus, that's mostly what my mom buys, and I get all my knitting stuff by stealing it from her. ;) )

So, you'll get plenty of use out of them. Use them in place of straights whenever you like, and then, someday, you might use them in a pattern that actually requires them!

[Karin]

Yes. My grandmother used these to knit Icelandic sweaters. She did the sleeves with dpn, and managed to put it all together with zero seams. I'm guessing her mother or grandmother taught her.

[Carol in Cal.]

There is a great pattern for log cabin baby blankets made from Homespun in a book by Lily Chin called "The Urban Knitter." I have successfully extended this to a small afghan size, and down to a doll size. It also makes great scarves, although I would not personally put fringe on them as its fringe gets very bedraggled.

[GLOWAcademy]

:( I dont have any advice on knitting socks, I cochet mine
But Ill ask a friend who knits socks all the time :)

[unsinkable]

Melissa...way to go on the socks! Can you return the circular needles if you can't use them?

And 10 points to Carol for using the word bedraggled!

unsinkable