I decided today that I would start my very first pair of socks. I just finished knitting a bunch of preemie hats for Pennsylvania Hospital and wanted to take a break from all the pink and blue yarn. I pulled out a pattern I recieved in a swap…got out the yarn and needles casted on using the figure 8 cast on rather than the Turkish cast on (there wern’t any good instructions for the Turkish). The pattern is absolutely beautiful… simple enough for a first pair of socks…I though hey I will have these done in no time! After casting on I came to find that one should have five dpns :verysad: (not stated in pattern). Now since I never saw a point in having sized 0 dpns for I was determined never to knit socks… since a lot of people said they were agrgavating to make, but after knitting two sweaters I decided to give them a whirl lol… Now I am so sad over my lack of a fifth needle. Hmmm this does give me a reason to go to my LYS now :teehee: .
I personally prefer 4 needles if I’m using DPN anyway. It works fine that way so maybe you could find another pattern. Here’s a good one that many of us learned with.
http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Start.htm
And here’s a good turkish cast on tutorial.
[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]LOL!:teehee:
I have the same question. Not all patterns use 5 dpn, a lot use 4 dpn’s but, is the only way you can get 5 dpns to buy 2 sets? I haven’t seen and 5’s for sale so far… [/COLOR]
If the pattern calls for 5, how easy is it to convert the pattern to 4?
Thanks,
TEMA:knitting:
It depends which sizes and which brands. Some brands package 5 only in smaller sizes and 4 in their larger sizes. Some are always 5.
You must immediately go to your LYS for a second set of needles. 
More seriously, it’s always good to have a second set because they fall in between the sofa cushions or otherwise get lost. I also have found my size 0 handy for repairs even tho’ I’ve never made socks with an 0 needle. If you continue to do socks, it’s nice to have a second set so you can work on both socks, alternating, at the same time.
I think you’ll enjoy socks. They are small to carry around and provide a change of knitting as you go through the process. Let us know how it goes for you.
I understood that there is a rule in knitting that you MUST go to your LYS on any day with a “y” or a “d” in the name of the day. :guyknitting:
Thanks everyone 
I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that there should be five to a set lol! I probably going to the movies this weekend which just so happens to be conveniently located near a yarn store :teehee:. I think I will go and buy some dpns for my Snapdragon Toe-up socks (Wendy D. Johnson)! And I just love that knitting rule!!! I wish someone told me it a long time ago…although I doubt my boss would like my missing work for yarn gazing :).
You can substitute a fifth needle that is one size above or below the ones you are using already. There shouldn’t be any uneven stitches, because the difference will be evenly distributed around the work. This is according to EZ :0) Amy mentions this in her DPN video (under advanced techniques)
Someone at my LYS did that on a pair of socks-- that is, use a one-size-up needle and kept moving around so that on each round, a different quarter had that needle. You could tell-- the sts were slightly looser. Not by much, and when worn, does it really matter?-- no. But it’s not something I would do. Here IS what I do: only purchase needles that come in sets of 5 or more. Susan Bates (I think it’s that company???) has a set of sock 20 DPNS: 4 sizes (1.5mm, 1.75mm, 2mm and 2.25mm), each with 5 needles. The whole bumch is $10. Also there are the sets in either nickel or Harmony wood from Knitpicks, or the square ones from Kollage. . .
Even though I only do socks with 4, I need that 5th one when I pick up the heel sts for the gussett-- can’t manage to get all of them on 1 needles, so I do half on one and half on another, and by that time, I’ve got 5 needles going. I think thesuits who decided to put 4 in a pack weren’t knitters!
To knit a pattern that calls for knitting with 5 needles with 4, put stitch markers where the pattern calls the needles to be. So you would have 4 stitch markers on your 3 needles that have your work on it. Does that make sense?
Check out :
Suzeeq is correct that certain brands only have five. Patternworks has a good selection of needles. I would ask for a catalog as they have metal, wood and I believe plastic. I use only metal needles even though I avoid dp and use circulars. I did use a dp and a circular needle to close up a hat!
I also like to knit socks with 5 DPNS. Check out KnitPicks - their Harmonys come in packs of [B][I]6[/I]![/B]
I’ve always just redistributed the stitches over the three working needles. Usually, I work the upper part of the sock evenly distributed over the three needles. Then, I work the heal on one needle, so I can keep track of the stitches better. Then, once past the heal, the bottom of the foot is typically in a plain stitch - while the rest is in the pattern stitch - so, I put the bottom of the foot on one needle, and distribute the remaining stitches evenly on the other two.
When there’s a will, there’s a way…
The same reason there are usually 10 weiners in a package, but only 8 hotdog buns in a bag. :teehee: They just want to irritate us!
:roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard:
:roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard: thats great …ahhhh that made my day!
Thanks I will check it out 
They include a spare in case you break one, so you still have 5. Though if you break the spare, you can still knit with 4.
isn’t the 5 needle thing more of a recent craze?
I think you are right I got spoiled now. The pattern told me to divide my stitches on all four needles…I could have just redistributed them but that would just drive me crazy in the end lol. I bought sized 2 dpns and decide to use them in the pattern instead of the 0 it calls for. Wish me luck I casted on yesterday and I am already addicted to socks :teehee: