Double pointed knitting needles are extremely useful for knitting in the round. If you are going to knit a hat, a seamless sweater, socks, or anything else that needs to be a tube for one stage of its construction, these needles might be your best bet. As with any knitting needles, there are a number of factors to take into consideration when buying double pointed knitting needles.
First of all, when buying double pointed knitting needles, you need to be sure that you have the right size. Patterns give an idea of which size to use, but you should always knit a test swatch to find out if you knit in the same gauge as the creator of the pattern. You may have to go up or down a needle size depending on how loosely or tightly you knit. In addition to the needle size, double pointed needles are available in different lengths. Different projects might call for different lengths of needles — for example, knitting socks is easier on shorter needles than you would use to knit an adult-sized sweater.
Another important factor in choosing knitting needles is what material they are made of. When buying double pointed knitting needles, think about which material is easiest for you to work with. This is largely a matter of personal choice. Some knitters like the speed of knitting with metal needles while others prefer the warmth of wood. When you are thinking about buying double pointed knitting needles, consider wooden, plastic, metal, glass, or bamboo needles.
Double pointed knitting needles frequently come in sets of four or five. Some knitters prefer to work with three needles holding the stitches, using the fourth needle to continue knitting. Others prefer to keep the stitches on four needles, using the fifth one to knit new stitches. When buying double pointed knitting needles, make sure you know your preference and look for sets of four or five needles.
Finally, before you buy double pointed knitting needles, consider the price. Quality frequently goes up as the price increases, so you will need to decide how important the quality of your knitting needles is to you. Double pointed knitting needles can range from around $4 US Dollars (USD) to over $35 USD.