Knitters please step this way

[HadlowLandscapes]

I want to knit this on flat needles but these instructions call for circulars. But then the pattern seems to be written for flat needles. Is that right? Is it calling for circulars so that there's plenty of space to host the stitches? Can I just go ahead and follow this pattern on flat needles?

chezlizzie.blogspot.com/2021/06/pembroke-scarf-pattern.html

You can start on non-circs but you will need to switch to circulars at some stage when you have too many stitches for your needles.

Oh bummer, I can't use circulars.

Why? It's just the same as using straights in this case.

My left needle needs to be firmly wedged in my left arm, so the short needles are not long enough for me to do that. I've tried not knitting like that but it's a lifetime habit, that's just how I knit.

I mean in that case your only real alternative is knitting the scarf in two halves and seaming it together. That would require quite a bit of pattern shenanigans though.

Could I just not bunch them up really tightly?

Oh, interesting!

I don't think that straights would work unfortunately, you'd have stitches pinging off your needles! Unless you could put some of them on holders while you work the rest, but that would end up being a total faff!

Not impossible, but 67" is almost 2 metres wide. You can bunch up to about 3 times the needles' width, but I wouldn't even be hopeful that standard straight needles could accomodate this full width.

Okay fair enough. Looking around it looks like I'd be better off with a diagonal shawl pattern. I am using sock yarn. Anyone got any nice patterns?

Have a look for patterns by Martina Behm. She's got some lovely scarf patterns for sock yarn, including the famous Hitchhiker scarf. It's been a while since I've made one so I can't remember if it was on straights or circs but the rows are fairly short so it might work for you.

I've been knitting since I was 10 (I turned 65 this year) and have learned a few different techniques over the years. I would encourage you to practice with the circulars with 50 stitches or so on them to get the hang of back and forth on them. Using circulars opens up a whole new world of possibilities. I make a lot of afghans and it's wonderful putting the entire width of an afghan on them and not having to sew panels together.

It took a bit of practice to get used to them, but I love them so much now I do all my knitting on them and never use straight needles at all.