My Hiya Hiya friends! LOL!
For hats I like the 16" circulars and then using DPNs to close it. Long circulars about 36-40" do both but…for an unknown reason, I like using the DPNs. Don’t get the metal ones if you are a beginner because when I was just learning, mine just kept dropping, LOL. I couldn’t handle the metal ones at first but those but birch wood and bamboo ones are great for a beginner. If you only go to Michaels or Joanns, they probably have the Clover Bamboo ones. I like worsted yarn not chunky because I am in Southern California and it doesn’t get that cold. I like flat knitting, too. My tension was very loose the first 2 years but all of a sudden it got normal without me trying. Maybe because of stress, not sure. Also I like to knit at night and the color of the needle is important, too. Those colorful birch ones are pretty but I can’t see the yarns well if they are a similar color to the needle color. The Clover ones are like a light flesh color and I really don’t have any desire for flesh colored yarn so they seem to be good for most yarns.
I will be a bit contrarian here and say I don’t like Magic Loop. I can do it just fine but I find it more fiddly than double points. I learned to use DPNs soon after taking up knitting for real so I am probably insufficiently motivated to change. I do use “traveling loop” (just one loop popping out where needed to be able to orient the needle to the yarn correctly) occasionally when it is convenient.
If you want to “cheat” on a bulky weight hat, try this…
Knit from edge to crown. To make the crown, decrease as much as you can on the the shortest needle you can work with. If you have interchangeable needles you can probably get a bit smaller than with regular circs, but I have done this with an inexpensive 16" Clover circ. Knit until you just can’t manage another stitch. Cut the yarn at say 15" from that last stitch (or more if you are concerned). Use a darning needle to run the end through the live stitches (going through each stitch in the direction you would have knitted them). Pull the circ needle out. Pull the threaded end tight (be gentle if your yarn breaks easily). I tend to run it through the stitches 2 times but that does make it harder to cinch it up. You will end up with a hole. Cover the hole by adding a pompom or a crocheted topper. This is not the “right” way to make a hat, and it won’t work well with thin yarn, but it is effective — and no one will ever know, lol.
Happy Knitting - I wish you well on your new adventure @MrsDanielleWilson!
Oh my goodness @Char I didn’t think I’d understand knitting patterns but I can TOTALLY give that a try tomorrow. (Yes plenty of cotton in my stash 
) I don’t know how to bind off but I’m sure there’s a YouTube tutorial or a knitting blog with instructions. I really appreciate the tips. I still need to purchase DPN at my LYS but alas I have to wait at the moment to expand my tool collection! (Might have spent a bit too much on some indie dyed yarn and Tunisian crochet hooks this month) thanks again I’ll post photos when I get the dishcloth started/finished tomorrow
@FreedomLover I was on the right track back when I did this but since I’ve no idea what pattern I was using and my tension is much different from more experience I had to take this all out 