Have you ever knit two at a time?
I originally learned to knit two socks at a time using Antje Gillingham’s book Knitting Circles around Socks: Knit Two at a Time on Circular Needles… but now I use the technique for all kinds of things!
What does it mean to knit two at a time?
It’s just what it sounds like! Using two separate balls of yarn, you’ll knit round one of the first sock, then round one of the second sock. Then, you’ll move onto round two of the second sock…
It’s a great technique for ensuring that two pieces are exactly the same!
Once I got the hang of socks, I moved onto knitting other pieces this way, like these monster arms:
And now…
Do you remember when I told you I’d started knitting a Charleston Tee?
When it came time to knit the sleeves, I thought, ‘hey! I should do them both at once!’
(I apologize for the late-at-night photo… I’m busy knitting!)
This way, the sleeves would be exactly identical, and I’d only have to read through the directions once! Hooray!
Because the sleeves are knitted flat (instead of in the round), I only need one needle instead of two.
It’s almost finished… fingers crossed it’s ready for me to wear at Stitches East!
That’s what I’ve been up to this week… how about you? I hope you have an awesome Wednesday, and get some great knitting/crocheting done this week!
If you want to check out more Work-In-Progress posts, please check out Tami’s Ami’s Blog, who’s been organizing a great WIP Wednesday blog theme! And, don’t forget to come back for FO (Finished Object) Friday!
I love knitting socks, but I never knit them two at a time. I like doing them on DPNs the best, so obviously that makes it impossible, at least using this method. I do however knit sleeves two at a time if knitted flat, and probably in future anything else I possibly can! I think it’s easier than realising once you’ve finished something that you have to do it all over again.
Yes, my preferred sock method is a 9″ circular, which, like DPNs makes 2 at a time… tricky. (I won’t say impossible, because I’m sure someone has figured out a way!)
Yep. Love doing socks this way. Haven’t done sleeves but why not. Gets them done
I don’t knit myself, but at a recent fiber festival I viewed a demonstration by a man who was knitting 18 socks together on one enormous circular! It was amazing.
I’ve seen photos of him… amazing!
I always knit socks 2 at a time. I can’t imagine doing them one at a time. But I do admit there’s a fair amount of pushing stitches off and on needles, and re-tensioning, that occurs, that I’m not sure I’m saving time, but mentally it feels faster and it’s nice not having to count.
Have always knitted everything 2@a time that can be done.
Sleeves, fronts and on the rare occasion that I’ve done socks.
If I am crocheting a sweater I sometimes use two skeins of yarn and do the same thing. This helps to ensure I have read the pattern the same for both fronts, sleeves etc. especially if I have to put it on the back burner before it is complete.
Love your patterns
Thank you, Jan!
What a great idea – knitting two socks at once.
Will try but first have to master knitting one sock. Thanks for the idea
I learned to knit in my 30’s…(gosh, i’ve been knitting that long?!)
My teacher taught me to make both sleeves at the same time, and I carried it forward to making mittens the same way…and that way they come out identical, rather than one being larger/smaller than its mate. 🙂
I have only made one sock. I know. It came out …okay. I learnt from the experience and hope that someday my left foot will also get a sock. 🙂
Kirsty
Hi, I don’t knit. I only crochet.
Is it possible to crochet two at one time? 🙂
Have a nice day, Margaret
Hi Margaret-
You could crochet two at a time, technically, but because crochet doesn’t have live stitches, it’s really just the same as crocheting one round, then switching to a second sock and crocheting one round. No fancy technique 🙂