Travelling Magic Loop

Travelling Magic Loop is a variation on the classic Magic Loop (see below for a link to our video on that technique). It ensures that you always start to knit with the adjacent stitches on your right needle tip. This avoids tension issues at the change from one needle to the other, and can eliminate ladders.
Magic Loop is a brilliant method for knitting small circumferences in the round using a long circular needle. It is perfect for knitting socks, hats, scarves, sleeves - basically any project with a smaller circumference.
You can purchase books from our retailers: www.actechniques.co.uk/retailers
Other videos in this series:
Magic Loop: • Magic Loop
Crochet Provisional Cast On: • Crochet Provisional Ca...
Grafting: • Grafting
Changing Direction Using a Short Row for Mitten Cuffs: • Changing Direction Usi...
Setting up a Thumb: • Setting Up a Thumb
0:00 Introduction
0:13 Uses for Magic Loop
0:30 Needle length to use for Magic Loop Method
0:50 Benefits of Travelling Magic Loop Method
1:12 Setting up a Magic Loop
2:15 Starting to Work the Travelling Magic Loop
3:48 Coming to the End of the First Needle
5:10 Recap of Travelling Magic Loop With More Fabric Knitted
5:25 Need for A Marker

[@ennioamato5022]

This is the easiest method of avoiding ladders. Thank you so much.

[@vanessawhippo6964]

Thank you so much! As I like using magic loop but am one who often has laddering issues this was exactly what I needed.

[@lyndamaynard7176]

Love this. No more ladders once I discovered travelling magic loop.

[@leemo3491]

Thanks so much for the video, great strategy and very helpful!

[@robinstevenson5442]

I just started doing this naturally when trying to get my head around magic loop. It's simpler and makes more sense in my head.

[@ACTechniques]

Same here. I don’t really remember ever doing it differently. It’s great that there are so many options, isn’t it? 🤩

[@robinstevenson5442]

@@ACTechniques Absolutely. I'm just trying to get my head around a tubular bind off and there are so many thousands of videos saying this is a tubular bind off but they aren't what I envisage. Finally I've found one that just looks the part. I don't really care what it's called. What on earth did we do before youtube videos? I suppose we just winged a lot of it. Which is how I came to this 'travelling loop' method. :-) Thanks. I'll check out more of your vids.

[@Shaumbrahedvig]

Thank you! Exactly was I was looking for.

[@ACTechniques]

Yay! So glad it was helpful. 🙌🏻

[@video2010iphone]

Ingenious. Thank you so much

[@eileenfitzgerald8987]

Wonderful! Thanks, Eileen

[@karena5975]

My favourite way of knitting, usually knit socks this way especially. Didn’t know what this was called. Thank you

[@20sandi12]

Eileen, thank you. I have been trying to learn the Magic Loop Your very calm and very thorough explanation is so very very good. It answers the questions, and problems I was having with ladders. It is also so helpful that you put a timeline so when I say to myslef "now how did she do that again?" I can go right to the moment. Your timeleine also reminds me to use markers, which I would forget while trying to grasp the whole process. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have subscribed; Please keep making vids.

[@ACTechniques]

It’s my pleasure! (Although I’m Jen, Eileen was just another commenter 😉) I’m so glad the video helped.

[@marianneknapp4846]

It looks Fabulous I've never seen this it for hats? Thanks Marianne

[@sharonwalker7139]

I find this very helpful but wish it was done with a light coloured yarn which would be much easier for my old eyes to see.

[@annauger2559]

Jen, that's brilliant. Did you invent it?

[@ACTechniques]

Ah no! Definitely not. Lots of people have been knitting like this for a long time. 😊 Thank you though.

[@lisasoroka9393]

This looks like such a great technique. I did read that traveling loop should not be used on small circumference knitting like socks and sleeves but in watching your technique it looks like it would work just fine. Am i missing something?

[@ACTechniques]

I’ve no idea why anyone would say not to use it on small circumferences. That’s literally all I use it for! 🤣 Go for it. 👍🏻

[@peaches7551]

So, beginning/ end of round marker doesn't need to be added into equation/worry about ?) .... one just keeps knitting round n round n round ? Do I have this correct ? I have been so worried about beginning n end marker ! Meaning ....did I just knit only half way around.....did I go all the way around. Hope I make sense??? Thank you!!

[@ACTechniques]

It depends what you are knitting. ☺️ For most things it doesn’t really matter and you can just knit round and round until it is the right length. For some things it matters more because you are working a pattern that changes each round. Or something like this scarf where you need to graft it shut in line with how it started. Then you need a marker. I hope that helps.

[@liannehepler9601]

Do you always do three stitches or do you vary that number? Thanks for the video!

[@ACTechniques]

Three stitches works for me. I can slip them all at once and it’s enough that my tension isn’t messed up. It’s easy enough to vary it to whatever you find best. 👍🏻

[@christinalynne8988]

I think this will solve my ladder issues! I'm a bit confused about one thing - when you show what the knitting looks like after having more fabric on the needles, you have a stitch marker indicating the beginning of the round. I have no idea where the start of the round is (and where to place the stitch marker)! Thank you - I'm sure this is obvious to everyone but me...

[@ACTechniques]

You generally place the stitch marker at the point where the two ends of your cast on join, back at the start of the work. If you have worked on from that point you should be able to work out where to put it by looking for the tail from your cast on, and lining your market up with that. 👍🏻 I hope that helps.

[@judyrose1767]

I stopped getting ladders when i switched to the Magic Loop method from double points. I do not use a traveling method. It seems unnecessary and a waste of time since the last stitch on one needle is now on the small cable, not the needle. When you begin the first stitch on the next needle, the one on the cable snugs up and eliminates any ladders.

[@ACTechniques]

The great thing about knitting is that there are so many different ways of achieving what you're aiming for. Magic Loop worked brilliantly for you, but it doesn't for everyone, so it's super that there are other options and tweaks for different knitters to try. I knit tightly, so it's much better for me to have the previous stitch on a needle tip rather than on a cable or it gets overtightened. It's a case of horses for courses! :) Happy knitting!