Learn how to join in the round, it’s an essential knitting instruction and it’s a lot easier than you think!
Many many knitting patterns include the instruction to join in the round or join to knit in the round. An no one ever specifies how to do that. As a beginner knitter, I remember that being super confusing. Was there some special stitch or technique I was missing?
Well, since I design mostly hats, I join in the round A LOT. There are certainly other fancier ways to do it involving slipped stitches or extra stitches, but honestly, the simplest way is to just bring the two ends together and begin knitting in a circle. That’s over-simplifying it, but that’s really what you’re doing.
Tips for learning to join in the round:
- Tip #1: Make SURE your knitting is not twisted. If your stitches are twisted when you join them, you’ll be knitting a Moebius strip. You can kind of fix that at the end of the very first row, but after that (which is when most people notice) there is absolutely no fix besides frogging. No matter how hard you google.
- Tip #2: When you join in the round, give the working yarn a little extra tug to keep the two ends close together. Also do this at the end of the first round/beginning of the second. This will help avoid a looser stitch or gap there.
- Tip #3: Don’t overthink it. Really all you are doing is bringing to ends together and knitting.
What else should I know about knitting in the round?
And here is a bonus tip for knitting in the round because I get this question all the time. When you are knitting stockinette stitch flat (the regular way) you have to alternate knit and purl rows. When you are knitting stockinetter stitch in the round, you just knit all the stitches all the time. I know, it’s weird. But this is a main reason a lot people prefer knitting in the round!
Are you ready to learn how to join in the round? This video will take you through the entire process including casting on the original stitches so you can follow along from start to finish!
If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…
- Learn to Knit – icord - September 11, 2025
- Learn to Knit – Fix a Twisted Stitch - August 28, 2025
- Hashtag Hat Knitting Pattern - August 26, 2025
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