How to Use Double-Pointed Knitting Needles

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Jan. Today, I'm going to show you how to work with double pointed needles. Why do you need double pointed needles? You need them if you're going to be working in the round, on a hat, or something that's too small for circular needles. Socks, hats, gloves, anything again that's in the round, you can use circular needles, so the first thing we're going to do, is I'm going to cast on six stitches, on to one of the needles, two, three, four, five, six. I'm going to take a second needle, I'm going to hold it parallel to the first one, and I'm going to cast on six more stitches. Two, three, four, five, six, one more needle. Cast on six stitches with this needle, three, four, five, six. Now, I could use another needle, but three is kind of a standard one to use, and we're going to make a little triangle. I'm sure many of you have seen the directions, that say join into the round, being careful not to twist the stitches. This is where that important part comes in. I'm going to lay the piece down, and I'm going to make sure that all the stitches are on the outside and all the little feeder cast on are on the inside, so you pick up your needles, making sure that the stitches aren't twisted. Pick up a fourth needle, or a fifth one, if you've got four needles here, and just start knitting around the circle. Start with that first stitch. It feels like I need another hand, so I'm going to knit the six stitches off of the first needle, and slide those to the middle. Now, I've got another working needle, so now I'm going to knit the six stitches from the second needle. Ah, it's getting easier already. Slide those to the middle. Now, that becomes my knitting needle, and I knit the six stitches from the third needle. Back to the beginning, that's the beginning of the round. You can see it's starting to make a little tube already, but you just keep going around and around, and around, until your piece, your sock, your sleeve, your hat, is as long as you want it to be, and I'm Jan, and that's how you use double pointed needles."