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Two at a time knitting is generally done for knitting socks when you want to make sure your socks come out the same length (it also feels faster even though it’s not). But you can knit any two things you want to make two at a time, including fingerless gloves, sleeves and other projects.
Working two tubes of knitting at the same time on the same needle is a bit of knitting magic made possible by the magic loop technique. You might have used magic loop knitting to work a small circumference project on a longer needle than you’d otherwise be able to, and a long needle is what makes this technique work, too.
Materials for Two at a Time Knitting
You’ll need a long circular knitting needle with a relatively flexible cable to work two at a time knitting on one needle.
Having two balls of yarn is preferable to working with the inside and outside yarn ends on the same ball, just because of the tendency to tangle. Especially while you are learning you’ll want to use two different balls. Using yarn of two different colors is helpful for learning, too, because you can easily see which yarn goes with which tube.
If you want to follow along, I’m using worsted weight/medium/size 4 yarn and a size 7 US/4.5 mm circular knitting needle.
Setting up Your Tubes
To begin, cast on half of the stitches you need for one tube. I’m using a long tail cast on. If you do, too, make sure you leave enough tail to cast on the remaining stitches later. Here I did 10 stitches.
Slide these stitches down the needle onto the cable and use a second ball of yarn to cast on all the stitches for the second tube. Here that’s 20 stitches.
Slide the stitches onto the cable. Find the center point of the stitches you just cast on and fold the cable so it pokes out in the middle of the stitches (this is the part in my left hand in the photo). I turned the needle when I did this but you don’t necessarily have to.
With the first stitches you cast on resting in the back (they can be on the cable but near the needle) cast on the remaining stitches on the front needle. This is pretty awkward but it gets easier once you have a couple of stitches on.
Knitting Two at a Time on One Needle
Turn the work so the needles are facing to the right and the working yarn is at the back, hanging from the stitches you just cast on. The second set of stitches is just hanging out on the cable.
To join for working in the round, make sure the cast on isn’t twisted and just start knitting the first stitches you cast on.
Work all the way across that first cast on set of stitches.
Slide these stitches onto the cable and pull the stitches for the second tube up onto the needles. Again the working yarn is coming from the back and this is using the second ball of yarn.
Just start knitting to join in the round, making sure there’s no twist in the stitches. Knit across this first half of the second tube.
Adjust the needles so you can knit the second half of the second tube. This part should feel familiar if you’ve done regular magic loop before, as you’re just sliding the stitches around on the cable to get the needles where you need them to knit.
Now the second set of stitches you cast on has all been knit, so we go back to the first set, or the last bunch of stitches we cast on. Adjust the stitches so these are on the needle and knit them.
That’s one round down!
Continuing to Knit
To continue two at a time knitting using the magic loop, just do that again and again. You’ll work the first half of the first tube, then all of the second, then the second half of the first.
The first few rounds are super floppy and awkward and you’ll want to really pay attention to make sure you’re working with the right yarn for the tube you’re on, that the stitches aren’t twisted, that you’re not tangling your working yarn in your knitting and so on.
Just take it slow the first few rounds and eventually there will be enough knitting to calm things down a bit.
Working two at a time is a great way to make long tubes like socks feel like they go faster, and to ensure that they end up the same length. It’s nice to do when you’re knitting stripes or using up stash because you can make sure you’re changing colors or yarns on both pieces at the same time.
And it just kind of looks cool if you’re knitting in public!
Have you ever tried knitting two at a time on one circular needle? I’d love to hear how it went for you or if you have any tips.
