Tag: how to knit

Knitting flat with circular needles
Can you knit flat with circular needles? Yes! You absolutely can.
I’ve seen this question come up several times in knitting groups. Even advanced knitters will ask, ‘can you knit flat on circular needles?’ and the answer is yes. In this blog post I’ll talk you through the pros and cons of circular needles, and how you can use them to knit anything! I will also guide you through the essential kit you need for knitting with circular needles.
This article contains some affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase via the links provided, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
You can knit flat with circular needles, and here are a list of benefits you get from doing that:
- Eases the weight on your wrists and arms.
Unless you’re an armpit knitter, you’ll probably start feeling the weight of your flat needles after a couple of hours of knitting. You can always take a break, but if you want to get back into it, using circulars can help take the pressure off. As your piece gets bigger, it can start putting pressure on your hands and wrists. Sliding the stitches onto circulars is a more efficient, lighter way to knit larger pieces.
- You can knit larger things
If you have a long cord on your circular needles, you can knit anything! Knit men’s XXL sweaters; knit baby blankets right up to king size throws with circular needles. Little coats and cardigans also benefit from being knit on circulars, as you can hold the entire thing on the cord while you attach the sleeves or knit the collar. Look out for cardigans and coats that are ‘top down’ or ‘bottom up’ in their construction, and have fun knitting the whole thing on one cord without the need of several stitch holders.
- Use the circular needles as stitch holders.
If you need a rest from the project you’re working on, you might find leaving it on circular needles more handy than finding a huge stitch holder. If you are using circular needles that have removable cords, it’s even easier! Unclip or unscrew the needles you’re using and knit something else with them. Your project will be safe on the cord.
- Make your project more portable.
Knitting with straight needles is fine when you’re on a sofa at home, but if you’re trying to knit on public transport or on a park bench, you might benefit from knitting flat with circular needles. If you’re an English knitter like me, you’ll find that your arm action can cause your needles to catch everything around you! There’s nothing more tragic than seeing your stitches slide off the end because you got caught in a curtain and dropped the needle. I can’t guarantee that this won’t happen with circular needles, but it presents a much slimmer possibility of slip-offs.
Common misconceptions about knitting flat with circular needles.
“You can’t use circulars because you have to keep flipping your work.” No, no you don’t. You finish your row and start working back on the other needle, just like with straight knitting pins. There is no flipping involved unless you’re knitting a pancake.
“Circular needles aren’t suitable for beginner knitters.” Again, this is nonsense. It’s like with exercise: do something you enjoy and you’ll do it often. The same goes for knitting. If you learn to knit on circular needles, that’s fine. It’s perfectly doable. Circular needle tips come in every size out there, so I don’t see why a beginner couldn’t do it. Some knitters with mobility issues might actually find starting with some light aluminium circulars quite comfortable! The weight is taken out of it, and the cord can rest on your lap or on a cushion.
“Circular needles are only good for knitting in the round.” No, they’re handy for every project. Every project!
Drawbacks of knitting flat with circulars
There are only some, but you should still watch out for them:
- They’re incredibly light so you could have trouble casting on.
Keep hold of them and keep an eye on them. Perhaps lay the needles on your lap or on a hard surface to make sure they don’t fall onto the floor. The casting on is the trickiest part, I find, as they’re not hard and heavy like straight needles.
- Sliding on to the cable.
Stitches will slide on to the cable and this is where you need to manage your tension. If you’re casting on too tightly, those stitches won’t slide back up the needle so that you can knit with them! try and keep the stitches even and wide enough to fit onto the needles.
- Dropping stitches.
As I said before, no one can guarantee that you won’t drop stitches.
Dropping stitches is sometimes really hard to avoid. I actually tend to drop a lot of stitches on straight needles as I seem to knock into them a lot or get them caught in my sleeve.
With circulars, you could drop the stitches simply because the circular cord has been weighed down too much by your work. This will then pull the needle downwards and out of the stitches! Keep an eye on it and work with your lap or a hard surface when you are starting out.
You will also drop stitches if you’re using a really smooth material to knit with. Aluminium can be very sleek, so just remember to be careful when you put you knitting down. You can also use needle stoppers or a connector, like the one that comes with addi click needles.
What to consider when choosing circular needles:
What is the project? This is an important question to ask as if it is socks, you’ll want needles that are lightweight and easy to port around.
What material do you like to use?
Bamboo and driftwood are popular for their lightness and warmth, but they’re prone to snapping if you’re not careful! For something small like a sock, you may want to try a metal needle as they can go really thin without risking breakage.
How pointy do they need to be?
If you’re knitting lace, you will want a sharper, more accurate tip on your needles.
What length do they need to be?
If you’re using magic loop for a hat, socks or gloves, you need to consider how long your cord is. Likewise, you need to consider how long the cord is if you’re wanting to simply fit the whole thing on it! Circular needles come in a range of cord lengths from around 40cm to over 150cm. The sky really is the limit.
Shop the range at Lovecrafts.
My personal circular knitting needle favourites:
Addi Click Basic Interchangeable Set
I have always loved my addi click set. They’re just basic aluminium needle tips with a plastic cord, and they click into place! You just click and go. I think as with all interchangeable needles, they come with a risk of disconnecting mid-project. In the 12 years I’ve had these, I think they’ve only come off once, and I’m not even 100% sure that it wasn’t my fault!
Addi are a perfect introductory brand for knitters. I also use Addi lace and Addi turbo for my projects. I started out with an Addi Click set, and these days you can get them in all the material types. There is a set for every budget. My cords are a little bit kinked these days (they’re over 10 years old!) but if you can’t straighten them with hot water, you can find replacement cords easily in any of the main knitting supplies stores. What knitter won’t need a few extra cords?
Chiaogoo interchangeble needles. These were a birthday present a few years ago, and I love them. They’re sharp, strong steel and although they can sometimes unscrew themselves mid-project, this rarely happens! You get a little pin that helps you secure them nice and tight. The cords don’t kink as easily as my addi needles or knitpro needles. They have a coil inside that keeps them straight. Really handy to have. You also get a nice little ruler for gauge, as well as stitch markers, life saving cord stoppers and T pins.
Knitpro Zing circular needles: These are so, so handy. Out of the needle types that I have, I think the Knitpro cords are the trickiest to keep straight. They can kink and knot in my knitting bag. Also, because the metal needles have a colour coating on them, they don’t help the stitches glide as easily. They have a good sharpness to the tips, so that’s great if you’re using them for a range of projects.
They come in a different colour for each size, so you really can collect them all. You can also get them in an interchangeable set:
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July 7, 2025
How to knit with double pointed knitting needles. DPN tutorial.
In this post we will explore double pointed knitting needles. These are also known as DPN and come in sets of 4 or 5 needles. They also come in 15cm (6in), 20cm (8in) and even 30cm (12in) and 40cm (15in) for larger projects such as adult sweaters!
DPNs are really useful when it comes to knitting things in the round. They are incredibly handy when knitting something small like the finger of a glove, or a baby sleeve.
Knitting with double pointed knitting needles can look really complicated, but once you realise you’re only ever knitting with two needles at a time you will be able to knit in the round easily with these handy sets of needles.
In this article, we will be looking at:
- How to cast on with double pointed knitting needles (video or step by step photo tutorial)
- What kind of needles you will need for your project.
- How to choose your next set of double pointed knitting needles.
Find out more about double pointed knitting needles below.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you choose to shop via any of the links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Here’s how to cast on and knit with double pointed knitting needles.
Ever wanted to try double pointed needles but were put off by how complicated they look? Maybe after seeing how to cast on and knit with them, you might see past the entangled hedgehog and feel more confident about giving them a try.
Here’s a video showing you how to knit with double pointed needles. There is also a step by step photo tutorial on this page.

What are double pointed needles used for?
You can use DPNs (double pointed needles) to knit absolutely anything in the round. You can use short ones such as 10cm and 15cm to knit socks and mittens, then there’s 20cm needles for hats and cowls. There are also 40cm double pointed needles to knit garments on. They’re very versatile and knitters have been using them for at least a century. That’s a long enougn lifespan to justify their usefulness, don’t you think?
Double pointed needles come in a range of materials and textures too. Wood needles are probably the lightest, with aluminium, plastic and steel not far behind. You can try the different materials out and see what’s right for you. Wood needles have a bit more flex so can therefore be more forgiving for a loose-tensioned hand. The steel needles may be more slippery and less useful for you but you won’t know until you try them as they can have excellent precision on lace knitting and picking up stitches.
This blog post is all about getting you started with double pointed needles. Take your time, be patient and have a go!
Casting on with double pointed needles:
To cast on, cast on like you would with a traditional, straight needle. A problem for many beginners is casting on too tightly and this can cause your stitches to twist, so here’s what I do:
Cast on across two needles held together. This forces some space between the stitches and allows you to easily get the next needle into the stitches. If your cast on method doesn’t work with this two needle technique, just cast on with one larger, straight needle.
For the sake of this tutorial, let’s call them needle 1, 2 and 3 with an active needle.
In this example here I have a 4mm straight needle to cast on with and I’m using 3mm double pointed needles for the rest of the project. This needle with no stitches on it will be needle 1.
When you have cast on the desired amount of stitches, use just one of the spare needles to start knitting. Let’s say that in this example it is a sock that we are knitting, we would be doing rib stitches (K1, P1).
Decide how many needles you want to use to knit your project.
Double pointed needles come in sets of 4 or 5. Most knitters will use 3 or 4 needles to hold stitches and 1 needle as the active needle.
In this example, I’m knitting stitches using the active needle. This will become needle 1. I’ve called it the ‘active’ needle and as you knit in the round, there should always be one free or ‘active’ needle for picking up the stitches.
Now I’m knitting another batch of stitches onto the active needle. This will be needle 2.
When you’ve decided how many stitches you need to have on each of the needles, just keep knitting across them with the active needle. The active needle will change every time you finish a set of stitches. In the photo above, I’m knitting the second set of stitches with my active needle.
If you’ve cast on over two needles, you can remove one of them when knitting the last set of stitches as you’ll need a new active needle to create needle 3.
When you’ve knit across all of the cast on stitches, it is time to join to work in the round. All you have to do is bring the first needle back to your right hand. It should have the tail end with it. I’ve knit across needle 1, 2 and 3 and have an active needle (4th needle). You can do this easily by flipping the entire project over.
To join, knit the first stitch of needle 3 with the active needle.
This will cause them to join in the round. You just keep knitting across the needles until you get to the desired length.
If you’re knitting something larger like a hat or even a garment, you may want to use 4 needles plus the active needle.
How do I stop the needles slipping off?
If you are starting out and don’t feel confident keeping control of the needles, this can be due to loose tension/things getting caught,
To ensure the needles don’t point vertically and slip out of your stitches, you can try any of these things:
- Knit over a desk so that the needles stay mostly horizontal.
- Knit over a cushion on your lap. This will stop the needles from dropping anywhere.
- Make sure your sleeves aren’t long and getting in the way. Roll them up or wear short sleeves when you’re using your DPNs for the first few times.
- Try not to hold the needles up to your face to see stitches. This can cause them to slip off. Make sure you have good lighting and can see the project well.
- Use needle stoppers. These are usually rubber shapes such as cones or balls that stop stitches slipping off the needles. Whilst they are very practical for needle storage and holding projects when you’re not using them, they might be a bit of a hassle if you have to remove them every time you knit onto the next needle.
As your tension improves, your needles should stay on the stitches.
Using double pointed needles shouldn’t be scary
At the end of the day, you are only ever knitting with two needles at any one time. Don’t let other knitters put you off using double pointed needles. There are often well meaning but unhelpful suggestions to “just use magic loop” or “buy these types instead” but I think it’s important that you try things out before deciding what is and isn’t for you. For all you know, you could love using double pointed needles.
Which DPNs are right for me?
There are many types of knitting needles due to personal preference. Some knitters prefer lightweight, wood needles while others prefer metals like steel and aluminium. Generally, plastic and aluminium are at the cheaper end of the range available, but they’re great to have if you’re just learning! Take a look at these types below to see what you would prefer when it comes to knitting with double pointed needles.
Lykke Driftwood Double Pointed Knitting Needles (6in)
Many knitters swear by LYKKE needles and it’s simple to understand why: they’re lightweight and available in natural materials. These driftwood needles are 16 Sizes (2mm – 9mm).
Lykke is the Norwegian word for happiness, which is certainly what you’ll be feeling by using their range of knitting and crochet accessories.
As global demand is increasing for our products, this community of skilled workers is growing too, expanding our output capacity. High quality materials and thoughtful design details produce the most beautiful and durable products. The craftsmanship is really something to admire! All knitting needles and crochet hooks are handcrafted and assembled in Nepal by Nepalese craftspeople.
These needles are renowned for their reputation of being strong and flexible with a smoothness that won’t snag! Buy now and add something special to your craft bag.
Addi bamboo double pointed knitting needles.
These little needles are so smooth and lightweight. I used them in some of the images above, as well as the video. This is because I was knitting something really small (a mini sock) and didn’t want long, heavy needles getting stuck on the desk as I worked. The addi bamboo double pointed knitting needles are small as well as light, so they’re really handy for on-the-go knitting or working with something tiny, like a toy!
What I particularly like about these needles is how smooth they are. They’re waxed, so they don’t splinter easily and the yarn glides down the shaft just as it would with a metal needle. I would suggest using bamboo knitting needles for acrylic yarns as the plastic on plastic you get with Pony needles for example can be quite squeaky! Not ideal if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.
They’re also getting my vote because they come in 6 handy sizes. Start really small with 2mm and work your way up to 4mm. They’re absolutely perfect for tiny things like toys, socks and gloves.
Addi grey aluminium double pointed knitting needles
These double pointed needles are my absolute favourite, ever. They’re a great size for socks and mitts as well as sleeves. I swear these needles make me knit faster! They’re so simple and in the years I’ve owned addi aluminium needles, none have bent. I’ve had my longer straight needles kink, and my thinner knitpro needles bend, but not these. My addi’s have been loyal to me and are fantastic for knitting sleeves for my kids’ stuff as well as for my own. I think the 20cm length are perfect for sleeves and hats as once you’ve separated the stitches, they don’t go riding off the edge easily.
They’re smooth, coated metal so there’s no snagging or pulling on your stitches. I wouldn’t recommend them if your hands are sensitive to the cold (the bamboo or driftwood needles are better suited in this department) but they’re great and they’re still my favourite. As with most needles, they come in several sizes so they’ll suit a variety of projects. They come as a set of 5 so you can always leave that extra one in the bag if you’re not knitting a big hat or an adult sleeve. I have these in sizes 3.5-5.5mm because I find them so handy. You can shop Lovecrafts range of addi double pointed knitting needles here.
Other double pointed knitting needles to consider:
Personally, I love anything by addi. They’re always such fun designs and so very useful. Being German, they scream practicality and functionality, but there’s also some cuteness there. I just love these needles. You can see Lovecrafts’ range of DPNs available here.
Thank you for reading!
June 16, 2025