Let’s talk Needles. Needles are the backbone of knitting, and there are three types of knitting needles – Double Pointed Needles, Straight and Circular.
Double Pointed Needles, or DPNs, are essentially needles with pointy edges on both sides. They are used for knitting small and round items like hats, socks, sleeves, mittens and gloves. They are also exclusively used for brioche knitting.
DPNs come in a pack of five needles, with 4 holding the stitches, while the fifth one is used to knit round and round and round without stopping.
DPNs come in different materials, and in the infographic, you can see three sets of needles. The first set (a) is by Lantern Moon, made out of redwood in Vietnam, and are used for knitting socks. They are about 12cm long and 2.75mm thick, very sharp and I am in constant fear of them snapping into two. Certainly they are never ever kept away from their case when not in use, and of course never given to my kids.
The second (b) is made of plastic and are absolutely the most worthless of all needles I have. Hard to work with, causes a lot of static with some yarns and just boring to look at. I picked them up in Dubai, because they were sold at a throwaway price…and now I know exactly why. I have now given them to my kids to learn counting and number values 😛
The third (c) is by Prym, made out of aluminium. The brand was established in Germany in 1530, but today they are made in Mexico. They are 20cm in length and I have a couple of sizes from 3mm to 5mm in thickness. These needles are my most dependable ones, I love the way they feel in my hands. They are smooth, the stitches glide properly, and the pearl gray colour helps me to see all colours and stitches clearly. A similar option to buy in India would be by Pony.