Knitting in half gauge involves knitting on every other needle. If both the front bed and back bed are being used, the loops on the beds are typically staggered (even indices on the front bed and odd indices on the back bed, or vice versa). This allows transferring from needles to needles, rather than from needles to sliders, the latter of which is required in full gauge. Due to the free needles, half gauge allows ribbing on tubes.