@ansate I like and use magic loop. Less hassle than dpns and safer too - when resting just slide the whole shebang on the cable and feel secure.
Main trick is to find a circular which is elastic enough - so not my beloved chiaogoo red with the wire, but rather the clear plastic cables.
Next to find out a sufficient length for the cable. E.g. I like 70 cm for socks.

Magic loop is really simple. Lots if great video tutorials.
https://youtu.be/ffxcYt9dP6w?si=qrCWWJw9pzjK8sdf

@ansate I can't remember where I learned magic loop. But, I didn't really like it and never use it anyway.

As for stitch markers, it depends what I want to do.

If I want to mark a place where to increase, for example, I use a tiny loop I made from scrap yarn (thin cotton works well) and just move it every round like I would slip a stitch.

When I need to mark a place where I did something last (eg for increasing every 5 rounds) I use a store bought stitch marker and clip into the stitch.

@ansate Nimble Needles on YouTube has some very good tutorials about knitting in the round without ladders and magic loop.

@ansate I haven't learned magic loop so I can't help you there - I prefer to use double-pointed needles.

But in regard to using stitch markers, I do have experience with that.

First of all, there's more than one kind of stitch-marker. There are two main categories: closed, and open(able). Closed stitch markers can only be used one way: slide them onto the needle. They mark the space between two stitches. They "travel" with the needle; that is, while you are knitting, you get to the stitch marker, and you transfer it from one needle to the other, so it now marks the space between the stitch you just did and the stitch you are about to do.

Open stitch markers can be used in two ways: they can be slid onto the needle like closed markers, or they can be attached to a specific stitch in the knitting (and are able to be removed from it later). When attached to a stitch, rather than marking the space between stitches, it marks *that* stitch. Thus, it travels with the stitch, rather than travelling with the needle. When you get to that point in the row/round, the marker is attached to that stitch, in the row below the current row, and if you want to mark that spot again, you need to remove it from that stitch, and attach it to the new stitch that needs marking.

So, why would you use openable stitch markers, if they have to be moved all the time?

1. For marking the right side of the work. Closed markers can't do that, because they are not on the front or the back, they are between everything.

2. For marking the start of a round. Yes, you could use closed markers for that, but because one is likely to pause the knitting at the start of a round, unless you are very meticulous with needle-protectors, a closed marker could just fall off the needle, and you will have lost it. Attaching an openable marker to the actual stitch which marks the start of a round means it won't fall off; you don't need to move it every row, once every five rows is fine.

#knitting @knitting

@ansate a second vote for Nimble Needles tutorials in general. I could listen to Norman talk about knitting all day.

I usually avoid laddering by using the thinnest most flexible cable I can for the needles or project I’m using. I eventually transitioned from the Addi interchangeables to Chiagoo’s because they have adapters that let me attach a cable for a finer needle than the one I’m using. The more flexible the cable the less tension it applies at the loop point.

If a finer cable isn’t possible than use a cable that’s longer than suggested! The extra length will do a figure 8 thing at the loop points and take all the tension off the stitches and ladders across the transition.

@ansate my stitch markers are funny shaped safety pins so I can add and remove them directly on to the needles (or even a specific loop of yarn), which is convenient. I've never used the stitch markers that are a fixed loop.

@ansate Nimble Needles has s great video on not laddering. My own method is to give the yarn a good yank as I move to the new needle. If you pay too much attention to stitch markers you'll confuse yourself. Just put them there and slide along. You might still mess it up but if you stress about them you'll definitely mess it up.