Magic Loop how to.

Magic loop is used if you're doing small circumference knitting on needles with a longer cord. I prefer magic loop for knitting socks, and while I have short circulars for doing hats I like using magic loop for hats too.

First order of business is to cast on an amount of stitches:

Slide the stitches back so that they are on the cord between the two needles:


Look at the stitches to determine where the middle of your stitches would be (or count them if you like, that also works well)


Expose the cord in the spot you determined to be the middle:


Pull that section of the cord out, pushing the stitches down to either side of the cord:


And pull all the stitches down towards the needle tips. You will now have two little rows of stitches on either side, joined on the end where the cord is hanging out and open on the end where the needle tips are.



Hold the needles so that the needle in the back is the one that has your working yarn dangling off it - so the last stitch you cast on. You will pull this needle tip out of the stitches so that the stitches are all hanging out on the cord:


You are now ready to pick up your newly freed back needle tip and use it to knit into the first stitch on your front needle (that first stitch on your front needle being the first one you cast on) - before you knit the stitch, have a quick look at your knitting and make sure that your cast on edges are both sitting straight with now twists anywhere.


Knit your first stitch:


at this point, your needles should look like this:


Knit to the end of your row:


And pull the right needle free, at which point you'll find that you know have a circle of knitting sitting on your needle and on the cord, joined at either end:


Turn the knitting around so that the needle with the stitches on it is again at the back, and the cord is closest to you:


Pull on the cord on the left of your work to bring the dangling needle point back up into the stitches that are currently sitting on the cord:


You are now again ready to pull that back needle forward, moving the stitches on to the cord as you're doing so,


You've now knit half of one round, and your knit stitches are sitting on the cord with the working yarn dangling from them


Use the free dangling needle to knit into the row of stitches


Once you reach the end of this row, you will have completed one round.

If you'd like to see big pictures showing exactly where all parts of the needles are, the tutorial over at Knitting Daily is pretty good.


You can do the magic loop method on a 32 inch circular, but it is generally easier to use a longer cord. If you're new to circular needles - the length is measured needle tip to needle tip.