Another vote for four DPNs (plus a fifth, I understand), thank you! Does the length of the needles matter? I picked up the only set I could find last week and they’re 7” long. It was quite awkward. Maybe that’s because it was my first time using them, or maybe I should have had something shorter.
Whenever I use dpns, i always use 5 needles: 4 around and I knit with the 5:th. For socks I use 15cm long dpns, and for hats and sweater arms I use 20cm long.
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It’s taken me a while to get a life line on the correct row if I’m placing one lower than my needles, I used to go off track and end up on 2 different rows but I have improved with time and practise. What I do in this case is aim for a row or 2 above where I really want to go to, then I rip back to the life line, places the stitches on the needle, then TINK (the word knit backwards) the row or 2 back to where I need to be. Tinking is slower but I like the control I have
The other way to use a life line though is a proactive one. Stop knitting before you do something you are unsure of (say the last round on circulars before switching to DPNs) and place the life line through the stitches on the needle. You’ll only get one round this way, there’s no risk of going off track. A fine yarn or thread with a blunt tapestry needle, begin at your beginning of round maker and go around to the beginning of round. I tie the ends together with a slip knot and a stitch marker to keep the ends safe. Then continue to knit the tricky bit safe in the knowledge that the life line is correctly in place.
Putting a lifeline in proactively is a brilliant idea that I never would have thought of! Love this.
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If the pattern calls for only 3 DPNs, then I’d use 2 circulars. The divisions would be the same, and I find that an easier way to work. And you don’t risk dropping a needle, which will then be sure to roll under the nearest piece of furniture!
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Most interchangeables have a hole that’s used for tightening the join. You can put your lifeline in the hole and knit a row, pulling the lifeline through as you knit. The downside is that then it also goes through any markers, so it’s not ideal if you have a lot of markers, because then you have to unclip them all and replace them as you go. And also…you have to knit that row correctly!! 
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I’m not a dpn kinda girl myself, they are too fidgety for me, but I do like the flexi flips, they are for small circumference stitches. There are 3 needles and you put your stitches on two needles that are flexible in the middle and you knit with the 3rd flexible one, kinda similar to double pointed needles but they are easier to handle because the middle of them are flexible. I use them for the crowns on hats and anything that is too small for my 9” circs. I have to say tho they are a bit expensive, but I make hats for a local homeless shelter so I use them a lot.
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Thank you for this! Sounds promising – I, too, hope to make hats for shelters and friends and would be glad to have a comfortable option for the crowns. Will watch a video or two.
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And it’s a hat! Basic Beanie was the name of the pattern, and it’s certainly basic. But I’m delighted, especially with my second pass at the crown. I put in a proactive lifeline using dental floss (thank you Creations for the proactive suggestion and someone on the Help Me Go Shopping thread for the dental floss idea) before switching to DPNs. A bonus with the lifeline is that I no longer needed my stitch marker because the ends of the floss served as a marker and wouldn’t fall off.
I used DPNs because I had them, and tried four instead of three. It was fiddly for sure, with points seemingly everywhere and needles in every direction, lol. But I kept my concentration and it worked, yay. There are a couple of small errors but I have to squint to see them, so I’ll take it.
Meanwhile I’d ordered a couple of sizes of circulars in order to try other methods, and also some caps which would have been useful not to worry about stitches sliding off the needles. They arrived yesterday and I’m ready to experiment.
Thanks so much for all the help!
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Well, look at that, you did it! Yay!
There’s always so much to learn and so many things to try. Enjoy experimenting with your new needles and don’t forget to update us.
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Well done! You’ve conquered a new technique and can use it as you wish. Love the basic beanie and the scrumptious color.
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Beautiful! I love your hat. The color is perfection.
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