Substituting Circular Needles for Double Points

How to substitute circular needles for double point needles in a knitting pattern
by Jackie E-S

By using this tip, you can substitute circular methods (either two circulars, or even one circular) for any patterns written for double point needles.

QUESTION —

I notice that the Country Girl Socks pattern calls for putting the stitches on double point needles. I always knit two socks at a time on two circular needles. I've only been knitting for about a year and a half, and still consider myself a new knitter. I'm not very good at looking at a pattern and telling if it will work well with my method of sock knitting. Can you tell me if the Country Girl pattern will work well done on two circulars rather than on double point needles?

ANSWER —

Yes, you can use two circulars rather than double point needles. You can arrange the stitches on your circular needles however you prefer.

Tip: Wherever there might be reference to a particular double point needle, just use markers to indicate which stitches would have 'belonged' to that double point needle.

In years before you started knitting (and during which the Country Girl Socks pattern was first published), it was common to write instructions for knitting socks in terms of using double point needles (although undoubtedly some people used circular needle methods before they became popularized in more recent years).

By using the tip above, you can substitute circular methods (either two circulars, or even one circular) for any patterns written for double point needles.

An additional tip is to use different colored markers to indicate the start of the stitches that 'belong' to a particular double point needle as written in the instructions.

Do you have a Question about knitting technique or skill? Please email me and I will consider it for an upcoming Q&A.

Return to Index of Jackie E-S Articles & Tips.