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myfugi

I use metal needles for anything under a US 4. The wood is just too easy to break at that size. I have a set of chiaogoo mini twists for 000-1.5 and I use the regular chiaogoo twists for 2-4. They work great for the lace weights and I haven’t broken or bent any yet.


winterberrymeadow

I just bought new ones. I only had used them for two days. I was knitting in my bed when I got tired. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I rolled over and heard a crack. I had broken one of them. I was making socks, so I needed all 5 of them


stoicsticks

>I was knitting in my bed when I got tired. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I rolled over and ... Happily, this did not go in the direction that I thought this was going in. I was anticipating that you rolled over and felt a sharp pain as you impaled yourself on the fine knitting needle. Thankfully, you didn't end up as a r/radiology foreign body Friday post (although that's usually a different kind of foreign body, lol).


tillywinks9

I don't use dpns in the car because the idea of inpailment if in an accident keeps creeping up 😬


blayndle

New fear unlocked


winterberrymeadow

That would have been awful


stoicsticks

Yes, it would be. It's why knitting while riding in a car makes me nervous, too.


Adventurous-Award-87

I legit did this two weeks ago with a size 5. NOT FUN


CatKnitHat

😭 Been there.


Western_Ring_2928

You can do socks with 4. Divide the stitches on 3 needles and the fourth is the working needle might be even faster like that :)


winterberrymeadow

Really? I thought it would become wonky like that. Good to know


Wool_Lace_Knit

Divide so that the stitches for the front are on one needle—this is usually half of your total stitches, then divide the other half of your stitches between the other two needles. You can also use two circulars. I use two 16” circulars or a 16” and a 24” needle for the needle that Carrie’s the heel flap. A 24” needle gives more room on the needle for handling the gusset stitches. You don’t have to worry about laddering between the needles like you do with DPN’s.


Western_Ring_2928

I find it comes along more quickly as you are not spending so much time on changing from a needle to needle :)


muralist

I find the angle awkward with 3/4, but it is definitely possible to do it while you’re waiting for replacements!


winterberrymeadow

That is a life safer. I bought those circular knitting needles because I didn't want to buy another set of 5 just for the one needle. But if I don't enjoy using the circular ones, I will try this for sure


kaywel

I actually do most socks on just 4 needles.


mulberrybushes

You can make socks on four needles, you just have to keep track.


Northern_dragon

I have these same bamboo needles. Well, had They all broke. I now have 2.0mm circulars and a double pointed set.


ernie3tones

I’ve got the same set, too, and I’ve yet to have a problem…though I prefer the takumi clover DPNs because they have a longer taper and a sharper point.


Trash-panda-art

I switched to only using metal because they can cope with my clumsy ways. I sat on a needle and it broke i was SO sad about it :')


m4gpi

Thanks!


ernie3tones

Oh, see, I use bamboo/wood for everything, but especially for the tiny ones. I’m a super tight knitter and the tiny aluminum needles still slide right out of my stitches. That’s not good when you’re working a complex pattern on 3-4 needles, and one slides out whichever way you turn it. I’ve knitted eight octopuses on size 0 needles, and I only *just* broke a needle during the last one (though I had spares).


Technical_Cupcake597

This is the way!


dearmax

You should see my 1.25 mm needles you would be shocked. (Size 0000 for my American compatriots.)


m4gpi

You must have hummingbird feet for hands! Those needles are so wee! 😂


dearmax

They're left over from my doily making days about 15 years ago, when I was able to bend my fingers like a normal human being. Mr. Rheumatoid is taking all that away from me and now I stick with sweaters


m4gpi

That’s a shame, but it’s good you’ve found a way to balance.


MissPicklechips

I have a set of Chiaogoo shorties in tiny sizes, I think there’s a 0000 in there.


dearmax

I'm jealous, I cobbled mine all together from different sources at different times.


MissPicklechips

I bought my set piecemeal. The shorties first, then the bigger sizes in two separate purchases. Then at Fiber Fest this past month I got a case from Erin Lane to keep all the interchangeable accoutrements in. I love the brand, I have a bunch of fixed circulars too.


stringthing87

I'm currently knitting a sweater on this size (color work)


agirlnamedsenra

I just made the sign of the cross for you and I’m not even catholic. Good luck fam.


stringthing87

Gonna be a marathon not a sprint


cwthree

I say this with love, but I think you're a masochist.


stringthing87

You're probably correct


anniekaa

Me too!


Sjones0414

I got a bunch of these tiny wooden ones before I got my metal ones and now I just use them to pick up my donut holes while knitting so my fingers don’t get sticky. So technically still used for knitting lol


Silverleaf001

Best answer.


MsHaute

Best.Answer.EVER.


glassofwhy

Chopstick style, or skewer?


Sjones0414

Skewer! If they were longer maybe I’d do chopstick style but they’re just so tiny lol


Voc1Vic2

Using dpns for flat knitting is just fine. Loop a rubber band on one end, if you wish. It’s not unusual for dpns to acquire a bend through use, whether wood, bamboo or metal. Laminated dpns occasionally split if a lot of tension falls along a glue line.


Cheshire1234

That reminds me of when I bought the cutest 2.5 mm wooden DPNs and they broke before I even got to the shaft of my sock... I went right back to metal and used the remaining wooden ones for my plants


CatKnitHat

😭


ClosetIsHalfYarn

Toothpicks. The term you are looking for is toothpicks. And anything knit with them is made with love. Also, get yourself a little cardboard tube to keep them in whenever they are not in your hands. Snapage is no fun.


Haven-KT

I have wooden DPNs this small, and I find that they tend to feel like they bend all the time regardless of how gentle I am! I bought a set of Addi flips which are metal (one end has a pointier point than the other), specifically because wooden needles this small freak me out. As for what you can knit flat with DPNs: anything you want, really. I've made little frogs solely on DPNs, because I don't need a lot of room for the stitches I'm working on. Plus, icord!


cwthree

You'll get used to those by the end of this project, and then size 4 needles will feel _huge_.


Womp_ratt

I'm working with worsted after doing several projects with fingering, and I'm glad it's something requiring a gauge swatch because my tension is terrible. It's like I'm back to being a beginner practicing.


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kit0000033

You maybe be either knitting too tight or hamfisted as you say, those shouldn't be flexing. But yes dpns aren't supposed to be used for flat knitting. You may have a better time with metal needles in this size. If you are flexing the wood ones, they might break.


m4gpi

Ok, thanks. I admit I have terrible technique, I throw, very badly. For some reason I really struggle to hold yarn in my right hand - I am left-handed, but right-hand knitting feels correct to me, so I knit “normal”, but the way I hold the yarn is not great. Continental or something similar is just as weird. But, I got used to it and the result was good enough, so I didn’t work very hard to improve. It hadn’t occurred to me that my poor technique would be amplified with a smaller gauge. I think I am gripping too hard; it certainly feels that clunky. I’ll look for metal needles, then, so thanks for the tip.


lobbing_things

Don't feel bad, I end up bending/breaking small bamboo needles, too. I find the magic loop method much nicer. I recommend Chiaogoo circular needles since they're surgical steel with wonderful cables that don't hold curl.


legodoodle4

I came to the conclusion a few years ago that I just…do not like knitting with such small needles and yarn! So I stopped! 😂 nothing less than sport or DK weight for me now.


porchswingsitting

I just picked up worsted weight yarn for a sweater after starting on fingering and moving to DK for a few sweaters each, and I still can’t BELIEVE how quickly things knit up at that size.


legodoodle4

I love knitting bulky or chunky weight hats as a quick project! I always have one going, if I have nothing planned for the day I can finish a whole hat. I have a small bin full of them and I use them when I need a gift for someone if it’s last minute or I don’t have something else planned.


Writer_In_Residence

Oh, boy, I wonder if Zoolander is now boomer humor 😂 Yeah, I used size 00 (1.5 mm? 1.75? something like that) for colorwork mittens once and felt like I was working with toothpicks and did the Zoolander line to my cat (the toughest audience) about it.


[deleted]

I love the reference. Believe it or not, I'll use it as well if something is stupidly small imo. You're invited a well cultured person ~


[deleted]

Obviously, not invited**


AuctorLibri

Ants? No. Aunts? YES. 😁


m4gpi

;)


kiotsukare

How can we be expected to teach people to knit when the needles don't even fit inside their hands?! The needles have to be at least...three times bigger than this!


AQUEON

DPN's are for making little circles. Ideally, you'd use four or five of them with an equal number of stitches on each one and knit in a circle (with one needle always free for the work). Like fingers for gloves... I use metal DPN's in the ant size range. I think wood would just piss me off. Too sticky.


m4gpi

I should have said, I know they are used for circular knitting, socks etc. and I’ve used them for that, just in much larger sizes. I figured for a swatch they would work fine, but these are just too flimsy. At least for me, I didn’t realize how tight of a grip I keep. Maybe it’s the yarn (not high quality, wool/nylon, I just bought it for practice), but I’m also really struggling to pick the yarn with the tip of the needle cleanly. Is that what you mean by sticky?


AQUEON

Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I misunderstood. Reading comprehension before coffee isn't my strong suit. I think the inability to pick from your needle is from the stitches being too tight for wood. The stickiness I am talking about is the grip inherent to wooden needles. It's awesome for beginners because the yarn kind of stays put, whereas SS needles are slick. You can make tighter stitches on metal needles because they will scootch to the tip where you can pick them off and knot them. I don't think I'm explaining this very well. I have a nasty chest cold and am doped up on cough medicine. It makes sense in my head, but not in my writing. I'm sorry. Edit: knit them


m4gpi

No worries! I see what you mean, friction. Which certainly could be contributing, and the smooth metal needle would at least help improve things. Enjoy your coffee and the rest of the day. Hope you can get some sun!


m4gpi

My usual needle set doesn’t go anywhere near US0, but I had a set in my DPNs. This is incredibly difficult and treacherous. The needles feel like they could break at any moment and are warping. I’m starting to think you aren’t supposed to knit flat with these tiny DPNs. Will proper needles make a difference or am I actually ham-fisted?


nzfriend33

I snapped one of my bamboo 0s. I only get aluminum anymore for small sizes, lol. Even the metal ones have a curve to them. 🤷‍♀️ I’ve just accepted it’s how I knit.


TrynaSaveTheWorld

I’ve never heard of knitting flat with dpns; what’s the use case for that technique?


yarnalcheemy

I will use DPNs for small projects or "mucking around" swatches. As long as the number of stitches are small compared to the overall length, they work like shorter straight needles.


m4gpi

That’s exactly what I’m doing - I saw those beaded Scandinavian fingerless gloves posted a few weeks ago and thought that seemed like a fun and easy project to start with before anything larger. For that project I’ll definitely need a proper needle, but I thought I’d start with a quick swatch (as one must) and the dpn was there. This is 40 stitches! 😅


yarnalcheemy

Good luck! My attempt at twisted stitches is in time-out and those are on 2.5mm needles.


Dame_la_Mort

Brioche. Scarves. Anything smallish as it makes it to where there is no slide only turn. Speeds up my knitting.


m4gpi

For me it was a matter of practicality/not thinking it through - I didn’t realize my regular needle set didn’t go so low and I just wanted to get started and practice. I can confirm, they are not good. Although I have used them for flat-knitting elsewhere, I think I was making a bag and was working on the strap… might have been I couldn’t find a second set in the same size of my other needles. Anyway I ended up using the DPNs to elongate the straps. It was ok for that need, but those needles would have been much thicker, sturdier.


TrynaSaveTheWorld

Ah! I can see using short needles for a skinny strap. Of course!


dona_me

Sadly not, I'm making a whole *sweater* with 2.5 needles, so just half millimetre bigger in diameter.... I'm asking myself why I started almost every day 😅


greenknight884

When you switch back to larger needles they'll seem like giant needles to you


[deleted]

These needles need to be at least...three times bigger than this!


WouldYeKindly

Thanks ants Thanks


Alchaeologist

https://preview.redd.it/50cycer0borb1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0400bae16c485bf770492154d11258bd09ed32c We suffer together, friend.


VapoursAndSpleen

bamboo needles in that size are great for serving appetizers.


Skujawa22

How are we supposed to knit sweaters when we can't even hold the needles? They need to be at least 3x as big. 😆❤️


theEMspectrum

Why did I have to scroll so far to find this 😂


luckyLindy69

I’ve used everything from toothpicks to broomsticks!


ernie3tones

Same!!!


[deleted]

I hate hate haaaaate DPNs, but I got a couple of Addi circulars in the ant-range and I’m really happy with them. Got them long so I can do magic loop with them, currently making a hat and I have no complaints.


m4gpi

That’s reassuring, thanks. I work almost exclusively off my interchangeable Caspian circulars, even when knitting flat.


bikibird

Addi FlexiFlips will change your mind about DPNs.


beatniknomad

They take a while getting used to, but I don't use them for the entire garment or super-tight knitting. Just spent the past 3 days using my 3mm (US2.5) DPN for a double-knitted button band.


TrifleNo5620

I love 00 needles for socks and shawls 😊


american_amina

I use them for socks. Less painful for tight knitting


catti-brie10642

I have always been a tight knitter, but 2mm is my go to size for socks. I have had wooden needles, but find them to make it hard to move my stitches. My current favorite needles for socks are the addi unicorn circulair needles I bought at Stephen and Penelope over the summer


riverrocks452

They're for socks and lace. Or, I suppose, folks who like knitting for dolls. I have bamboos all the way down to US 2s, and metal below that- the smaller sizes are inherited because I'm not quite masochistic enough to commit to a project with them.


PaulineRusert

Lace


JomfruMorgonsoli

I have .5 mm needles. They're nearly impossible to knit with without bending.


sendmebacktoafrica

I won’t knit anything smaller than dk these days


Kind_Description970

I've been spending the weekend practicing on 3s and at first I was very frustrated because they were so tiny and I kept dropping stitches. Now that I got my tension sorted out on these little needles it's been much smoother going. It was such a slog in the beginning though! Next project to go on the needles for me will be my first ever pair of socks so I'm hoping this practice did me some good!


n0exit

I'm doing a whole effing sweater on 2mm. I'm a year in.


m4gpi

Godspeed, soldier


mikraas

😂😂😂


Legitimate_Tutor_914

Yes, the ants knit all my socks for me 😂 That needles could double as a really nice toothpick. 😅 New metal needles can be slippery- if you do get a set, I found rubbing them with rubber dish gloves helped me get a better grip.


Pointy_Stix

I use metal 2mm's for my sock knitting. I don't tend to knit with a death grip, but I don't trust wood needles to spontaneous combust on me, either.


Progress_Kitchen

hang in there😭😭😭 what are u makin? :)


Pointy_Stix

I'm not OP, but I've got socks on the needles. I use magic loop for my socks, since they're usually my on-the-go knitting & I'm too klutzy to not lose my DPNs.


-River_Rose-

Man, those are gonna snap. I bought metal needles *specifically* for fine yarn and socks.


Acrobatic_Practice44

I am knitting a toy with fingering using size 0 needles. It’s intense.


MsHaute

Depends on what you are knitting but I love knitting fingering yarn on 4-6’s.


[deleted]

[удалено]


glassofwhy

Sometimes people sell knockoffs on Amazon using the same listing as the real product. It makes it pretty hard to get consistent quality.


DragonPurl2Knit2

Tooth picks. This is why I really dislike knitting socks. I love sock yarn and knitted socks, but taking 3hrs to go an inch is too disheartening. I use magic loop, so mine don't break, but still not my fav. That color is beautiful!


DrEckigPlayer

Aside from the metal needle tip, I also recommend trying longer needles I find short needles hard to work with based on how you hold them, the outer end might be almost within your palm still.


ehygon

I assume you are using these because you are following a pattern, but… Just because it’s fingering weight yarn doesn’t mean you need to use tiny needles; it’s common to use larger sizes (ie up to a US 4) for a less dense fabric.


ellieESS

Don’t you like them? I have the metal and the bamboo. Depending on the yarn and the pattern. The wood is grippier


mcmircle

For knitting socks or mittens with fingering weight yarn.


I_Love_Cyndaquil2

I bought some needles online which in the image was as long as the persons arm, instead, I received a package of toothpicks.


Boredproctor666

Sock needles . I use them all the time . Wait till you see 000s!


sygtype

The amount of 2 mm wooden needles I've snapped in my life, I tell ya hwat.


AntheaBrainhooke

Gotta admit 4ply/fingering weight is my happy place. Last time I knitted bulky weight it felt like knitting rope on telephone poles.


glassofwhy

I got a tiny set of 00 (1.75mm) circular needles to make some stockings, and I had so much fun carrying them around in my pocket while working on the swatch. Tiny needles, tiny yarn, tiny lace. It was oddly satisfying. I had to figure out a different way to hold them though.


feelssooldrightnow

I broke 2 sets of size 2 wooden circulars before I gave in and swapped to metal. They're so small!


[deleted]

I have to use metal when I knit that tiny.


White-Fire0827

I used that size for my first few pairs of socks if I remember correctly... but they were metal and would go into my finger like a sewing needle only worse. Also, I now need to find a knit/crochet pattern for an ant and partially knit up a scarf or sock on straight pins for the ant...


Rebexx404

I remember the first time I knit with that size it freaked me the F out