Double Pointed Knitting Needles

The oldest type of knitting needle is the straight double-pointed kind often referred to as DPNs.  Below is a painting created somewhere between 1400-1410 depicting the Madonna knitting with four DPNs.

Detail from 'Visit of the Angel', from the right wing of the Buxtehude Altar.
Meister Bertram von Minden (1340 - 1414)

The key characteristic of these needles is the ability to knit off of either end.  And as you can see even from the painting above, the things created with DPNs are circular in shape.  So DPNs are a great way to knit small-circumferences and are most often used to knit socks, crowns of hats, sweater sleeves or if you're me, cupcakes.

Light-weight bamboo DPNs

DPNs are frequently used in sets of 4 or 5 and vary in length from 4-8 inches (10-20.5 cm).  This means they are relatively short and allow whatever is being made with them to be very portable.  It is not unusual to see knitters in public using a set of DPNs.  They do look rather complicated to those unfamiliar with them, but you knit using only two needles at a time.  The remaining needles and stitches are merely hanging around waiting for their turn.  And although this may make the enterprise a bit awkward at first, I can speak from experience that you get over it.

My mini mitten, see the 3 needles and the red stitch marker

The cast-on is generally done on one needle and then the stitches are divided and moved to the remaining needles.  The instructions for projects using DPNs will always tell you how many needles to use (usually 4 or 5) and how many stitches to put on each needle to work the project.  One major characteristic of knitting in the round, in general, and using DPNs in particular, is that the right side is always facing you so you never have to knit on the wrong side. This means some stitch patterns are different in the round than they are when knit flat. For example, to knit using the stockinette stitch in the round you only use the knit stitch and never purl.

Point projectors that convert DPNs to SPNs

An advantage of owning DPNs is they can easily be turned into shorter SPNs, by simply adding a point protector on one end of the needle (see above). Therefore, if you knit mostly smaller items in the round and occasionally knit small, not very wide items like a scarf, you may get more use out of DPNs than single pointed needles. I know I use my DPNs more often than my bigger/heavier SPNs.

Ladders of looser stitches can sometimes form at the joins between needles.  ( Click here to see the cupcakes I photographed in yesterday's post).  It is also easy to twist your cast-on stitches when first joining for knitting in the round creating a mobius (Lex, aren't you impressed) rather than a true circle.  Both these problems can easily be solved with close attention to what you're knitting.

Another tip to keep in mind when using DPNs would include the use of a stitch marker to indicate the end of the round.  Although the tail of the cast-on is a great reminder when a new row is started, if the project includes increases and decreases, like my cupcakes, a stitch marker saves time following that row up to your current knitting. (see the red stitch marker in the mini mitten photo)  It is, of course, easier to put the marker after the first stitch so it is locked between stitch one and two.

With a little practice DPNs can be a lot of fun.  They are used to make smaller projects, are very portable and can serve as two needles in one.  I have inherited almost all my DPNs and thus never purchased a complete set.  That's why you'll see I have metal, bamboo, and plastic DPNs and so many they require a special holder.   

My DPNs in a vase Lex made in grade school

As we’ll cover next, there are ways to knit smaller circumferences with circular needles if all those points are intimidating.  Stay tuned for part 3 in this series.