Large Double Points

[Laticia]

Thank you everyone for such a hardy welcome last week! Thank you Amy that I got my Knitting Help CDs in just two days! I have been gathering double pointed needles from ebay and various online places, to make ready for socks!

Lastnight I came across huge sizes for double points--7.5 and 10 inches long, and in sizes 10.5, 10 3/4, 10 3/8, 11, 13, 15, 17---------what would one use these larger double points for? Do I need these? ( I have 1-10 so far, some are 4 needles, some are 5) And if I should get these, what length, the 7 or 10 inch?

Many Thanks everyone!
Laticia

[Silver]

Larger DPNs are used for circular items in a larger/thicker yarn. Personally, I've never needed any DPNs over size 10, but that's probablly partly due to the fact that I'm not fond of chunky knits in the first place.

For the length, it really depends on what you're knitting. Although I can't imagine needing 10 inch DPNs for anything that you couldn't use a 16" circular for. *shrug*

[Laticia]

Thank You Silver for your reply and recommendations. I suspected the same thing about being able to use a circular needle over 10 inch long double points, and I am not sure I would use such thick yarn.......if I wanted to felt something, why then maybe, but I have large gauge knitting looms that I could probably use instead. So you saved me a lot of money, cuz I was almost poised to buy them all in my ignorance! I am glad I checked here first. Gosh this is a great forum!

Off to watch a knitting socks video and review Amys CDs. I sure do love the internet, I wouldnt be this far, this easily, in my knitting adventure if it werent for the internet and all the great folks out there chatting and sharing away!

Smiles,
Laticia

[Rennagayle]

Laticia, have you watched Amy's video on making your own needles (scroll down to the last video on that page)? I made some dpn's, and it was very easy!

[punkhippiemom]

Yay, Amy, for teaching us how to make our own needles!
I wasn't sure how "into" knitting I'd be, and didn't want to invest a bunch of money when I started, so I decided to make my own needles.
I kind of figured it would be pretty easy to do, but I shredded my hands whittling dowel tips w/a knife and sandpaper until I asked Amy (couldn't download the video rotten dial-up!) and she said use a pencil sharpener! I felt like an idiot...with sore hands LOL!
The only thing that I have to add (and forgive me if this is mentioned in the video already) is that I found that a make-up pencil sharpener is sooo much better to use than an electric or grinder sharpener, because
a) you can see how much wood you've taken off,
b) it seemed like there was a lot less sanding involved (and I did try w/all 3)
and c) the electric and grinder sharpeners (like the ones they used to have in school) only accept up to a size 8 or 9 needle - the make-up sharpener has a bigger hole for those fat eyeshadow pencils that was great for making my 10, 11, and 13's.
Oh yeah, one more tip - I wiped my 13's w/my dusting rag (saturated in Old English) twice, and they are awesome. I tried wax (I think that was suggested on this site somewhere, don't know) on my 11's, and they stick horribly. Go with the oil!