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Magic loop knitting is a method of circular knitting that involves one long circular needle rather than double pointed knitting needles or two circular knitting needles.
It can be used for projects with a small circumference like socks and sleeves, or projects with more stitches, so long as your needle is long enough to maneuver. Let’s take a look at knitting in the round with the magic loop.
What Kind of Needle Do You Need?
The only special equipment you need for magic loop knitting is a long circular needle in the size you need for your project. Typically magic loop knitting tutorials suggest using a needle that’s at least 36 inches/91.4 cm in length (that’s counting the needles and the cable).
The one I’m using here is about 30 inches/76.2 cm, so a longer cable isn’t necessarily required, but as you work with the method you’ll probably decide you like your cable a little longer or shorter.
You may also want a stitch marker to mark the end of the round.
Preparing for Magic Loop Knitting
When knitting magic loop, cast on as normal. Ideally you’ll have an even number of stitches (I have 30) but you can have one extra stitch on one side if you need it.
Slide the stitches onto the cable and divide them in half, pulling the cable through the cast on at the middle of the stitches. Here I’m showing the stitches near the needle points just for stability.
Put the stitches you’re going to knit first onto the needle and pull the other end of the needle so the stitches on that side are just hanging on the cable and you can bring the other needle over to knit the stitches. Pull a little tighter than normal on the first couple of stitches on each side to help prevent laddering (that’s where you can see the strand of yarn between the two sides of the stitches).
Continuing the Loop
When you get to the end of the stitches on that needle, pull the needle the stitches were just on so these stitches will be on the cable.
Flip the project over, pull the stitches on this side up onto their needle, and pull on the other needle so there’s a loop of cable on the right hand side and you can get the needle to the stitches on this side to knit.
Now you’re worked a round, and here is the tail to show you you’re at the end (or you can use a stitch marker).
Continue in this manner and you’ll soon see a little loop of knitting.
Magic loop knitting is easy once you get the hang of dealing with the long cable, and it feels a little better than having all the needle ends you have to deal with knitting with double pointed needles. There are fewer junctures to potentially cause ladders, and it’s great for sock knitting because you can put the front of the sock on one side and the back on the other.
I hope you’ll give magic loop knitting a try if you haven’t done it before and let me know which method for circular knitting is your favorite.
