How To Knit A Circle: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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How to Knit a Circle Download Article Explore this Article parts 1 Casting On 2 Increasing the Circle Other Sections Expert Q&A Video Tips and Warnings Things You'll Need Related Articles Expert Interview References Co-authored by Suzi Quillen and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: February 20, 2025 References

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This article was co-authored by Suzi Quillen and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Suzi Quillen is a Knitting and Crochet Expert based in Granite Falls, Washington. After honing a love of knitting and crochet and becoming a crochet pattern designer, Suzi founded Perfectly Knotty in 2014, an online hub for knitting and crochet learners and enthusiasts. Perfectly Knotty offers multiple avenues to inspire creativity in its customers, selling allergy-conscious yarns and fibers, offering crochet and knitting patterns, and providing stitching support via tips and resources. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 81,950 times.

Although you're probably used to seeing crocheted circles, you can actually knit circles too. Start by casting a few stitches onto a double pointed needle and knit into the front and back of each stitch in order to increase the rows. Once you've cast on several rows, change to 3 double pointed needles. Continue to alternate increase rows with knitting rows until your circle is as large as you like.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

Casting On

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1. 1 Cast a stitch onto 1 of the needles and make 3 stitches. Make a slipknot and slide it onto 1 of your double pointed needles. Insert another needle into the loop and make a knit stitch (K1). Then make a purl stitch and 1 more knit stitch before pulling the last stitch onto your right needle.
   • You'll need 4 double pointed needles in any size you like.
2. 2 Turn the work and purl the 3 stitches. Move the right needle with the stitches to your left hand and insert the working needle into a stitch. Make a purl stitch and move it to the right needle. Purl stitch the remaining stitches.[1]
   • You'll end up with 3 stitches on the right needle again.
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3. 3 Knit into the front and back of each stitch to increase the row. Insert your working needle into the nearest stitch and knit it, but leave it on the left needle. Insert the needle into the back of the same stitch and knit it. Then pull the stitch off. Repeat this for the other 2 stitches on the left needle.[2]
   • You should now have 6 stitches on your needle.

   Did You Know? Knitting into the front and back of a stitch is a common way to increase the stitches on a row. You'll probably see it written as KFB in patterns.

4. 4 Purl all of the stitches. Turn the work and then insert the working needle into a stitch. Then make a purl stitch and pull it onto the right needle. Purl stitch each of the remaining stitches.[3]
5. 5 Knit into the front and back of each stitch to double the stitches. Turn the work and insert your needle into the closest stitch to make a knit stitch. Leave the stitch on the left needle and insert the right into the back of the stitch. Make a knit stitch and then pull it onto the right needle. Knit into the front and back of each of the stitches that remain on the left needle.[4]
   • Increasing each stitch in the row will double the number of stitches on your needle. For example, you'll now have 12 stitches.
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Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Increasing the Circle

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1. 1 Divide the 12 stitches between 3 double pointed needles. Transfer 4 of the stitches to another double pointed needle. Then put another 4 of the stitches onto a third double pointed needle.[5]
   • You'll now have an even number of stitches on each double pointed needle.
   • Remember that you'll need the fourth double pointed needle to knit with.
2. 2 Arrange the needles into a triangle. Position the needles so each needle touches and forms a triangle. Keep the working yarn hanging from the needle on the right and remember not to work with the yarn tail.
   • Smooth stitches that might be twisted so they lie flat.
3. 3 Knit each of the 12 stitches on the needles. Take the fourth double pointed needle and insert it onto the left needle. Knit the stitch and slip it onto the empty needle. To prevent a gap from forming between the stitches, pull the yarn tightly. Then keep knitting until you've worked each stitch.[6]
   • If you're keeping track of how many rows you've knitted, slide a stitch marker onto the needle before you start working it.

   Did You Know? You'll always need to remove the empty needle once you've knit all of the stitches on it. Then use it to knit the stitches on the next needle.

4. 4 Knit front and back and knit 1 across the row to increase. To work an increasing row, knit into the front and back (KFB) of the first stitch on your left needle. Then knit the next stitch as usual. Continue to KFB, K1 across all 3 needles.[7]
   • Once you reach the end of the row, you'll have 18 stitches total on your needles.
5. 5 Knit every stitch in the row. Since you're now working a non-increasing row, knit every stitch that's on each of the 3 needles. You'll finish with 18 stitches, just as you started with 18 stitches.[8]
6. 6 Alternate increase and knit rows until the circle is the size you want. To make your next increasing row, knit an additional stitch after KFB, K1. Then knit all of the stitches of the next row. To do another increasing row, add an additional knit stitch after KFB, K2. Then knit every stitch again and continue to work until the circle is as large as you'd like. A typical increasing pattern will look like this:[9]
   • KFB, K2 (repeat)
   • K all
   • KFB, K3 (repeat)
   • K all
   • KFB, K4 (repeat)
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Expert Q&A

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• Question What does knit in the round mean? Gregory Patrick Knitting Specialist Gregory Patrick is a knitter who runs the popular blog Madman Knitting. He is also the author of the book "Mad Man Knitting or The Waiter and the Fly". He has been knitting and writing about knitting for over 10 years. Gregory Patrick Knitting Specialist Expert Answer Knitting in the round is a seamless way of knitting something like socks, hats, or gloves using either circular needles or a set of either 4 or 5 double-pointed needles. When you begin knitting in the round you’re asked to cast on as you would with straight needles. However, after casting on, you join the first stitch with the last stitch and begin your project working in the round, as opposed to back and forth. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 3
• Question What is the magic loop technique? Suzi Quillen Knitting and Crochet Expert Suzi Quillen is a Knitting and Crochet Expert based in Granite Falls, Washington. After honing a love of knitting and crochet and becoming a crochet pattern designer, Suzi founded Perfectly Knotty in 2014, an online hub for knitting and crochet learners and enthusiasts. Perfectly Knotty offers multiple avenues to inspire creativity in its customers, selling allergy-conscious yarns and fibers, offering crochet and knitting patterns, and providing stitching support via tips and resources. Suzi Quillen Knitting and Crochet Expert Expert Answer The magic loop technique is widely embraced for knitting in the round with circular needles, offering a swift approach to completing multiple rows efficiently. It involves using circular knitting needles with an exceptionally long cable, allowing for a distinctive method of working the round. This sets it apart from the traditional approach using double-point needles. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1

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Tips

• If you're unsure which size needles to use, check the recommended needle size on your package of yarn. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1

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Things You'll Need

• 4 double pointed needles
• Yarn
• Scissors

You Might Also Like

How to Knit in the Round How toKnit an Increase Stitch How toCrochet a Circle How toCrochet in the Round How toKnit Socks on Circular Needles How toIncrease in Crochet How to Start Knitting (with Advice from the Experts) How toKnit a Cable How toFinger Knit a Blanket How toKnit the Knit Stitch How toKnit an Infinity Scarf How toKnit a Patchwork Blanket Step by Step Granny Square Tutorial How toCast On Advertisement

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about knitting and crochet, check out our in-depth interview with Suzi Quillen.

References

1. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=81
2. ↑ https://craftally.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/knit-circular-coasters/
3. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=131
4. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=154
5. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=232
6. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=287
7. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=473
8. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=488
9. ↑ https://youtu.be/GLpg27-Zx3M?t=817

About This Article

Co-authored by: Suzi Quillen Knitting and Crochet Expert This article was co-authored by Suzi Quillen and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Suzi Quillen is a Knitting and Crochet Expert based in Granite Falls, Washington. After honing a love of knitting and crochet and becoming a crochet pattern designer, Suzi founded Perfectly Knotty in 2014, an online hub for knitting and crochet learners and enthusiasts. Perfectly Knotty offers multiple avenues to inspire creativity in its customers, selling allergy-conscious yarns and fibers, offering crochet and knitting patterns, and providing stitching support via tips and resources. This article has been viewed 81,950 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 8 Updated: February 20, 2025 Views: 81,950 Categories: Knitting Techniques

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Suzi Quillen Knitting and Crochet Expert Click a star to vote Co-authors: 8 Updated: February 20, 2025 Views: 81,950

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