Advice needed on knitting with double pointed needles!

[GreebosWhiskers]

Have decided to make dd legwarmers - she is potty training at the mo & is living in skirts & since mother nature's calendar is obviously stuck on autumn her poor wee legs are turning blue.

I bought a set of dpns & have worked out how to join the ends & knit in the round but is there any way I can hold them that isn't going to have 2 pointy objects pointing straight forward? I'm having to wait 'til dd is in bed to knit as otherwise she runs the risk of impaling herself if she runs over for a cuddle.

TIA

this site has an excellent guide: techknitting. My only tip is to use five DPNs, not four - it works so much better. have to admit I never knit around DD - she would pull my knitting apart!

this reminds me why I've only managed to make one lovely cashmere cabled sock

Unlike florence I use only three needles for doing sleeves etc on FairIsle jumpers. I was told in Shetland by a very self righteous knitter that 'they only use 4 needles for socks' Since this is only the legwarmer bit of the sock I think you would be alright doing it on three pins. You then turn it backwards and forwards and not round and round.

I wish I coul remember how I did it, but I used to knit on the Tube (London Underground trains). It guaranteed me some breathing space, as nobody wanted to get too close to four vicious-looking DPNs! But I did hold them in such a way that I wouldn't impale someone or get impaled upon them myself if the train jerked.

It is possible. Just try holding them in different ways. I think I used to hold them pointing upwards.

I've only just mastered dpns myself, but could you use circular needles instead?? I'm sure some people knit socks on circs.

if you use four in the round (and one to knit) rather than 3, then your "tube" is much floppier and generally easier to handle, at least for us novices! You can buy short sock needles which may cut down on the risk of impalement. or you can use two circulars (there is a video somewhere on the web here) which by nature tend to be somewhat floppy.

Thanks folks - unfortunately the dpns came in a set of 4 so will have to have a look online for a set of 5.

I think the pony ones only come in 4's, I just bought 2 sets. They're only a few £s.

KnitterInTheNW - never thought of that