DPN forgetfulness!

[LeighAnn]

I am knitting in the round using 5 DPNs and realized about a needle and a half through this round that I had my 5th needle in my mouth (for safe keeping I guess!) and that I was knitting using 2 of the 4 needles that were already holding the stitches. Have I completely messed up, or can I continue on my next needle using the 5th (empty) needle?

I hope this is clear enough!

[Jan in CA]

When you use DPN you will only use two at a time regardless of how many needles you use on the project. I rarely use more than 4 total so three are holding stitches and one knits. Soon it will have the stitches and the empty needle will become the 4th.

The only reason I can see where using one less needle is a problem is if you need to keep track of a certain number of stitches on each needle and in inc and dec. is this what you mean?

[Ingrid]

Yeah, its more a matter of the number of stitches you're working and how they're being kept track of. You can certainly incorporate the 5th needle back into the mix.

[LeighAnn]

Okay, this is what I was hoping to hear! I just wasn't sure if forgetting to use my active knitting needle would cause a problem in a circular pattern (i.e. because of the 'spiral' nature of circular knitting).

Thanks for the reply!