BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting circular knitting

Help! I started my first project using circular needles, after about 3 inches I realized my work was twisted (not in a circle_ I don't know How I did it but can it be fixed? Or do I have to start over. Thanks

You probably have to start over I'm so sorry. One of the ways to avoid it is to work back and forth a few rows and then join. It is really hard to not twist your work. These Knitting help.com videos are generally really helpful. But the easiest way I know of to do it is to join them and pay really really close attention or go back a forth for about an inch and then join the circle (at the end you seam the inch with mattress stitch and the join will be invisible.)

At about.com Sarah White states it the best:

This was so hard for me...I think it easier to learn on double pointed needles before the circular needles. It kinda puts it in perspective I guess. The first sock I made I cussed through for hours...Then I finally just threw it down and said it couldnt be done these people must be crazy...who would think of such a method....I went back and finally figured it out.

I'm doing a hat right now on circular needles and did the same thing. I even knew that I needed to check for twisting but it ended up twisted anyway. I did start over with it after knitting about an inch and was VERY careful when I redid it.

I like circular needles tho and use them for lots of things. I like that the needle part can be shorter for knitting baby blankets and such.

I have found that as with everything, twisting your stitches while working in the round is alway possible, but does get easier to recognize and avoid the longer you do it. The knitting guild I'm in, has knitters of every level, and at our monthly meetings we share, one thing that has become very clear to me is that everyone makes mistakes:

1. Twisted stitches.
2. Twisted rows.
3. Not reading the pattern correctly.
4. Getting the gauge wrong.
5. Necklines not lying flat.

etc.

The thing that seems to me is that it is a process, and sometimes we just have to rip it out and re-do it, and say, "Heck, it is all knitting."

How is that for Monday morning philosophy...off to rip out a portion of a sweater!