Noob question, knitting baby blanket & circular needles

[Brisen]

I'm trying to learn to knit and would like to make some baby blankets.  I have been looking around at patterns but I don't seem to be able to figure out needle size.  If I'm using circular needles for a large-ish baby blanket, how long should they be?  I know you can scrunch up the blanket a certain amount, but I'm not sure how much.

[hildare]

i'm kind of a noob too.. but am learning....you can use pretty much any length of circ needles as long as you are making something longer than they are.  it's harder to make something shorter than a circ needle (though magic loop is a technique people use to do that- just look on youtube)

i am going to try this one myself-- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/round-or-pinwheel-baby-blanket   and the instructions just call for whatever size needles work best with your yarn.  it should say on the package when you buy the yarn what needles to use...  that seems uncomplicated to me...

or, if you're really trying to work with easy directions, i always use the stitch and bitch book to refer back to for everything, the style in which it is written just seems very easy to understand for me... there's a baby blanket in there as well as all the reference.  i loaned my copy out but got another at the library, i think it's pretty likely most libraries have that one. 

the one in that book is this one, though you have to get instructions from the book http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/big-bad-baby-blanket

but it does specify size 9 29"- 40" circs.  you'd hold two strands of yarn together to make it accd to the directions, which explains why on ravelry people have heavier weight yarn (and don't double it). 

[Brisen]

Thanks!  I'll look into the book.  I think found a pattern that makes sense to me, and it uses a 29" circular needle.  I'll try that and see how it goes.

[MarineWife]

For a blanket working back and forth you can use a longer needle. I find longer to be better for that. You only need a needle shorter than what you're working on if you are knitting in the round, unless you do magic loop, as the PP mentioned. You need a very long, very flexible cable for magic loop but you don't need to do that for a blanket knit flat. You can't have anything too long for that but you can have something too short if all your stitches don't fit.

If you think you will stick with knitting, I suggest investing in an interchangeable set like the Addi click lace circular set. It's pricey at first but pays off in the long run. Circulars needles are very versatile and can be used for anything whereas if you get straight or double-pointed needles, you need a separate set of needles for each size.

[Brisen]

Thanks for the explanation, MarineWife -- that clarifies things for me.  I like to think I'll stick with knitting, but I'm not sure.  I started off with crochet, and it seems so much less complicated.  It's tempting to just go back to that instead of practicing the knitting.  

[MarineWife]

There are less expensive interchangeable sets. the cables aren't flexible enough for magic loop and they aren't as nice to knit with but they work. i started out knitting soakers so i got 3 16" circular needles in sizes US 5, 6 and 7. if you're starting with a blanket, you'd want a much longer cable or long straight needles.

i started out knitting so i find crochet confusing. i've made a few things but have gone back ti knitting because i know it so i can get things done. if i had more time, i'd work more on learning crochet. someday...