I use circulars (bamboo circulars mostly now) for all my knitting, whether or not it's circular.
I'm working on textured picture patterns at the moment, doing some lovely ones. It's getting me used to knitting and perling into the backs of stitches, although I still don't like it.
One thing I do like, though, is the Walker method for doing RT and LT. Very strange, very counterintuitive, looks rubbish right after you knit it (hanging off the needle, like), but absolutely perfect in place, and much easier than traditional RT and LT.
I'm working myself up to making up my own textured pattern, as DS1 wants a hat with a rocket on it, and I won't do intarsia (hate hate hate), and anyway, the hat should be all red as it will be a school hat. I guess I have to sit down with some graph paper and sketch it out, and then start experimenting.
Oooh, and I'm also meant to be doing a hat for a neighbour, but I'm still thinking over the pattern. I have some good textures that produce interesting edges, wiggly on purpose, like, but ... I dunno, I think a hat with that sort of edge would be a bit elven, and not appropriate for a bigger woman? I'm probably not making any sense here, anyway ...