Straight Needles

From KnitWiki

Straight needles come in two types. They can be made of metal, plastic or bamboo/wood.

[edit] For flat knitting

These come in various sizes and lengths - longer for larger pieces of work and smaller for children and smaller patterns.

They have a bobble or similar on the end to stop stitches falling off the end, often with the needle size printed or embossed on it.

[edit] For knitting in the round

These are straight and have points at both ends - hence the common name, double pointed needles (DPN). They can be bought in sets of four or five, as you need at least four needles to work a circular pattern with them.

They are useful for knitting seamless tubular items such as socks, and also for I-Cord.