Cable Needles

[Paulaque]

I have ordered cable needles, but am one of those extremely impatient people, so I have been experimenting with crochet hooks, double pointed needles, and even a curtain rod hook, that one gave me a hole in my finger when it slipped, anyone have a suggestion for a better substitution until they arrive?

[ChatyKathy]

Basically anything will work as a cable needle that will hold your yarn as you do the other stitches. I have used crochet hooks and even a dowel rod to hold the stitches and even a ink pen. Most anything that has a end you can knit off. Good luck

[suzeeq]

Crochet hooks and dpns work well as cable needles, as do chopsticks or skewers; there's really no advantange to a cable needle. Wood things are probably less prone to slipping through the sts than metal, though a hook wouldn't as much as something straight.

[salmonmac]

Yes, anything that comes to hand or, depending on how many sts are in your cable, you can even cable without a cable needle.
http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/n...e-no-fear.aspx

[Paulaque]

Very interesting, although I am not brave enough for that yet, I am doing my first cables EVER, and it is a hold one in front, knit two, then knit the first stitch, then the opposite with hold in back, etc. I am making a hat for a preemie (my great-nephew) and I am using a pattern that I made myself with graph paper and Microsoft Paint. If I knew how to post a pic, I would show you my progress. The only dpns I have are metal, and slipping has been the main problem with them, I guess I will wait until the mail runs tomorrow, smh.

[suzeeq]

Since you're only holding one stitch, that makes it harder. Open up a paper clip partway and use that, it should be easier.

[Paulaque]

I sharpened both ends of a chopstick then sanded down the tip, necessity, the mother of invention.

[Fergablu2]

I like the cheap plastic Clover brand cable needles that you can pick up at Joann's. They come in three sizes and are small enough to not get in the way, even when I use them to cable on socks.

[Antares]

I like using the bamboo DPNs. Then I can just knit right off the DPN, but anything that's grabby and about the right size will work.

[Marina1109]

When I started knitting I bought cable needles, which I hated because it took extra effort to keep the slipped stitches from falling off.
It was my very first "cables" project so I got frustrated to the point of trying a paper clip.
I loved how the paper clip held the stitches nicely until I was ready to use them , I haven't used anything else since.
I even gave away my cable needles.