Friday, March 26, 2010

Double Magic Loop Method

I like to knit using fat needles because they go so fast. You get such a feeling of accomplishment when you can finish a project in a short amount of time. It makes me feel like I am doing something more than my epic projects that seem to be cast on my needles for ages.

When you are making a hat and using size 4mm/US 6 needles it is just ridiculous. So much work for such a small thing! Using big needles makes it better, but for hats it poses two problems.

1. It is hard to find big needles in double pointed sets. They can be found, just not easily.

2. If you use the circulars how do you shape the hat at the top?

Solution the Double Magic Loop!

I just started doing it once, I can't imagine I am the first to try it. I planned to post a link to a video for it, since I use it all the time, but there are no youtube videos of it (strange, usually anything you can imagine is on youtube!)
So I thought I would write it out with pictures to explain what I am always talking about.

These pictures are with needles sized 12.75mm/US17

Cast on the amount of stitches needed

count out a third of the stitiches and slide it to the end of the needle like this.

Pull up on the cord at the place you figured as 1/3 of the stitches

Pull it further through and you have your 1st magic loop.
Next count out another third of the stitches and make your second magic loop beside the other needle

It should now look like this.
If you are worried about your tension or laddering don't be. I have never had any problems with it. Since you are using fat needles the stitches are big and give you a little room to play with.

Join together in the round and start knitting the first section.
Make sure when you join that the stitches are all the same way on the needles with no twisting. If there are twists, as with all circular knitting, it won't work.

Once you have finished knitting one section it will look like this

You slide the part that was in the middle up onto the empty needle, and then go to the other needle and make another magic loop splitting the stitiches in the middle

Keep on knitting and magic looping and knitting and magic looping and off you go!

One last tip, often I will switch up the places where I split the stitches to make my loops, that helps prevent laddering in the same spots. It doesn't have to be exact with every 1/3rd the same size, just so long as there are three sections allowing you to have the circular shape.


Let there be a stubbornness about you that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. Let your courage always rise at every attempt made to intimidate you from trying a new weird knitting method. 

Any guesses from which book that paraphrased quote is from? It's one of my favourite moments.

1 comment:

  1. thanks for posting the double magic loop method, I am going to use it on my next project!
    and all I have to say is this:
    "I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not your own.”

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