Knitting in the Round: Which Needle Style is Right for You?

If you want to spark a debate in a group of knitters, just ask which needle style is best for knitting small pieces in the round. I can think of five possibilities, and all have fervent devotees. Let’s look at the options and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Double-Pointed Needles

The circular needles we all know and love did not exist before the early twentieth century. Knitting in the round was traditionally done using a set of four or five double-pointed needles. This remains the method of choice for many knitters (including me!).

Get a closer look! Click any image in the gallery below to open it in full-screen mode.

The stitches are divided over three double-pointed needles. The fourth needle is ready to knit the stitches along the base of the triangle.

The stitches are divided among three needles arranged in a triangle, or four needles