I have to be honest here and say that it’s been so long since I used straight needles for anything that they feel distinctly odd and alien to me. Despite the fact that I grew up learning to use straight needles - knitting flat now, for me, always involves circular needles.
I find them to be much more comfortable as they spread the load of the knitting more evenly. As well as that they are much more portable - easily tucked away inside a project bag.
Knitting on public transport can be a little cramped at the best of times and no one needs long straight needles further antagonising the ‘armrest wars’.
That being said, there are a lot of people for whom knitting is synonymous with straight needles and when they do try to change the habits of a lifetime it can feel uncomfortable to say the least. I often see comments on forum posts where people are trying out circular needles for the first time. They try once or twice and then give up as they find it too difficult.
Changing any kind of established movement or habit is hard work. Our brains are hard wired to prefer the comfort of familiar routines, they take less thought and we can almost do them without thinking about it.
If you are in any doubt about the power of muscle memory try folding your arms the ‘wrong way’ and see how alien it feels to you, how hard you have to concentrate on the movements. And that’s just a simple thing like crossing your arms. Imagine how many more neurons and muscles have to be recruited when you try to hold knitting needles in a different way. You literally need to rewire your brain - and that takes time.
The good news is that by developing new neural pathways like this you are developing your neuroplasticity - something which is linked to staving off age-related changes in the brain such as dementia. SO it’s well worth persevering with. If it helps here are a few things that I have found worked for me and those I teach.
How to get to grips with circular needles:
Choose a good quality brand - the best you can afford. Look for needles with a smooth join between the cable and the needle portion. Cheaper, plastic needles often have a rough join which will just catch and snag on your stitches. Tugging the stitches over a rough patch won’t help your enjoyment of the knitting.
Cast on for a simple project first, something like a hat where you can just focus on the process.
You don’t have to knit in the round at first if you don’t want to. Just practice using the circular needle to knit flat, knitting back and forth as you would normally.
When you do decide to knit in the round knit flat for a few rows first before joining. This helps you to avoid accidentally twisting your stitches and you can stitch up the little gap at the end with the tail of your working yarn.
When knitting in the round try to use the tips of your fingers more than your palms. When using straight needles much of the weight (and control) rests through your palms/wrists - this is the reason for many RSI-type injuries. With circular knitting most of the weight is distributed through the cable and you are just using your fingertips to manipulate the needles.
Practice daily. Aim for 5 to 10 minutes every day on your ‘in the round’ project. Try not to do more, especially if you are finding it frustrating. It will take time to develop your new skill but you will gradually find it easier and easier as you reprogramme all those little neurons.
Practice really is the key here - little and often - and in no time you will surprise yourself with how much you are managing to knit.
What aspects of circular knitting do you find challenging? Why not let me know in the comments and I’ll see if I can help.
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