I prefer to knit in the round. When I see a pattern I'd like to try, it's usually knitted in pieces that need to be sewn together. What is a good way to convert a pattern that can be knitted in the round?
First you need to check if there are selvedge stitches included on the flat pieces, a lot of newer patterns have them since they make seaming easier, but not all of them. If there are selvedge stitches you need to leave them out of the cast-on, there will be one stitch per seam per piece, so a pullover will have four, two seams, two pieces, four stitches. If you are making a cardigan you'll probably want to leave the selvedge stitches at the front opening to make the front band easier to deal with.
Then just cast on and start knitting. I find it works best to put markers where the side seams would have been, one is my start of round marker and the other is opposite. Waist shaping will be placed in relation to those markers.
When it comes time to divide for the armholes you need to do a bit of forward thinking, since your start of round is in the middle of one underarm you'll have to start the bindoff for that underarm before you get to the marker. You will have to double the bind off the pattern states. It will say something like "bind off 10sts at the beginning of the next two rows" so 10sts before the end of row marker you will start binding off and bind of 20. Then work until 10sts before the next marker and bind off 20 again. From there you finish the front and back as it was written for the flat knitted pieces since you are now knitting flat again.
Sleeves can be knit in the round the same way, if there are selvedge stitches subtract two (one piece, one seam). The start of the round is the middle of the underarm just as in the sweater body.
And don't forget, if you are working a pattern stitch that is uncharted you need to convert all the wrong side rows to work from the right side in the round. It might be easier to chart the pattern if the wrong side is more than just all knits or purls since a chart represents the right side of the pattern and you can just work all rows from right to left to "convert" it into the round. Otherwise remember the "wrong side" rows will switch knits and purls and will work backwards from what is written (so k2, p7, k4, p3 would become k3, p4, k7, p2).
Am I correct in my thinking about seams for garments in the round. Would I drop a stich on each side of the garment ?
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