Double point needles, often calls dpns for short, are used primarily for knitting projects in the round, especially socks. They come in many sizes and lengths just like regular needles, and can be used as regular needles, or even cable needles, if necessary.
How to Hold DPNsOne reason people may avoid using dpns is because they seem very unweildly to use. Many knitters, especially beginners, are used to handling two needles, not four or five. But, while using dpns looks challenging because of all the needles, the knitter is still only employing two needles at a time; the rest are only being used to hold the rest of the stitches.
The traditional way to hold a project on dpns is with the empty needle in the knitter's working hand, and the needle the stitches will be knit off of in the left hand. This leaves the other two or three needles behind the working needle and out of the knitter's way. It also means the stitches made will face the outside of the project.
DPN SizesDPNs come in most of the same needle sizes as regular needles, but like regular needles they come in different lengths. DPNs typically come in one of two lengths: regular and sock. Sock needles are shorter than regular dpns, about five inches long, due to the smaller nature of the project, and come in the smaller needles sizes. Their shorter length makes it easier to handle smaller projects, because there is less needle length hanging from the ends of the project.
Regular dpns are usually about seven inches long, and come in most needle sizes. These can be used for any project in the round, including socks. These needles can be used as regular needles if necessary, though they are better suited for small projects, as too many sitches on the needle can cause stitches to fall off the ends.
Types of Projects That Use DPNsSocks are one of the first projects that come to mind for dpns. The small size of the sock dpns makes the project portable and easy to store. Knitting socks on dpns means small numbers of stitches on several needles, so the stitches can be divided to make pattern repeats easier.
Hats are another popular project in the round. Many hat patterns call for starting with circular needles at the brim, then switching to dpns near the top. However, if the dpns are long enough, the entire hat can be knit on the dpns, avoiding the need to switch needles. Unlike with circular needles, there is no worry of stretching stitches to fit around dpns.
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