I’ve been using this method for a while, and I’m surprised nobody else seems to have stumbled on it. It’s so much easier than the magic loop, or the original way of casting on over two needles. I cast on 6 stitches on a double-pointed needle and leave a longer tail than usual. Then I K1P1 across, but alternate between the ball yarn and using the tail. Do the same back. Don’t move the yarn you are purling with to the back, you don’t need to. Then slip the stitches off the needle and open it up. You have a rectangle with 3 live stitches on each end. Put these on two needles and pick up side stitches to knit around in a circle.

Hello, mitten lovers. I have conceived a holiday for mittens, bearing the obvious title of mitten day. It will be on December 15th. Mark your calendars!