# Socks- circular needles or DPN?



## farm mom (Oct 10, 2006)

Hi all,

I'm not able to get on this forum as much as I would like with six kids, homesteading, and homeschooling. However, I have been knitting and spinning for awhile and would like to try my first pair of socks! To me circular needles look easier and seem to make more sense but DPN's seem the most popular? What kind do you prefer? Thanks!


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## Shazza (Nov 20, 2004)

It was on this forum that I learnt to knit socks on 4 needles....since then I spit socks out once a week lol...on 4 needles the sock is knitted as a whole sock so when finished you only need to sew the ends in.  If you so a search for Sock tutorial it should come up with a link that I printed and then started step by step, very good instructions cos for me to get it they must have been good. Then we all did the KAL sock making recently with our new found skills.  Happy Socking.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I know some swear by the circs, but honestly, I like DPNs better. Okay, I haven't done SOCKS with them, but I only use circs when I really have to. 

DPNs are a bit weird to get the hang of at first, it's a bit odd holding all the bits together, but once you have a centimetre or so (umm, half inch) of fabric in place they hold themselves.

Wooden ones slip less easily, so if you are a loose knitter they don't seem to just slide out of their own accord as much as metal ones do, but if you're a tight knitter or lugging your work about in a bag, the metal ones are sturdier.

Really, it's whatever makes ya happy, knitting's meant to be enoyable!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

DPN's here too. It looks more difficult than it really is. You only really knit on two of the needles at a time. There are tons of good tutorials on the internets and you have all of us to help too 

BTW, welcome to the Fold Farm Mom!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I knit on Dp's too. Tryed to learn on 2 cir. the directions were witten and made no sence to me. Maybe If I could watch. Good luck.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I knit on circs any time I can, but with socks .... DPNs all the way.

Like Marchie says, you're only knitting on 2 needles .. the other needles are just holding your stitches.


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

DPNs. 
I'm going to give the two circs another go, tried years ago and didn't like it. My DPN projects follow me and I found the cables would get tangled up with the misc stuff in my purse and pockets.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Pakalana, I found that even with dpn's, my small projects had a tendency to get tangled in the mystery stuff hiding in my purse. I found if I put my project in a zip lock bag before tossing it in my purse, life is a whole lot easier.


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## farm mom (Oct 10, 2006)

O.K., DPN's it is. I bought some on sale the other day from the yarn store so it is time to crack them open and see what I can do!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Wr and Pakalana, when I have socks that I toss into my purse or bag I will get all the needles that are holding stitches even. Then beginning at the needles I will roll the socks up and take the spare needle and stick it into the sock sort of locking everything into place. That way you don't have to worry about grabbing it and pulling a needle out of loosing stitches.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Marchie, 
As similar as we do things, you'd think we were taught by the same person even though we are both self-taught.

I was about to reply letting folks know about rolling the sock around the working needles and puttin the other needle through the sock to lock it into place, but you beat me to it!

Dang, she's good!


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

I,m not a big sock knitter and I learned to knit long before circular needles were invented. Magic looping on circular needles has totally revised my total apathy for sock knitting. I love the magic loop technique. I drop far fewer stitches. I would say none, but that might be an exaggeration. I can knit socks so much faster. Those rows go around so quick, and I start at the toe and have no seams to sew up.

My daughter (the one homeschooling 6 kids) does two pairs of socks on one circular needle. She does them toe up, knitting from the inside and out of one ball, so there is no waste and no discovering you don't have enough yarn to finish that second sock. She turns out a couple of pair of socks most weeks.


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

I am okay with DP's.

Welcome, farm mom!


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## Pakalana (Mar 9, 2008)

Marchwind said:


> Wr and Pakalana, when I have socks that I toss into my purse or bag I will get all the needles that are holding stitches even. Then beginning at the needles I will roll the socks up and take the spare needle and stick it into the sock sort of locking everything into place. That way you don't have to worry about grabbing it and pulling a needle out of loosing stitches.


I do that as well. I ran into issues with two circs, the cables would always sneak out and grab hold of something. DPNs are far more well behaved when traveling.


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