What do you need in a knitting needle?

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Monday, June 15th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

When choosing the best knitting needles, start with the project’s requirements. The pattern will indicate a preferred needle size, as well as the number of stiches in the gauge swatch. Depending on how tightly you work your stiches, you may find that you will need needles either slightly larger or slightly smaller than the size called for on the pattern. When you are buying your first knitting needles, you would do better to go to a craft store that features a large knitting department, or to a knitting shop. Staff at such small stores are generally quite knowledgeable and are very willing to help you choose the best knitting needles. Don’t forget to take your pattern with you.

Size

Standard knitting needle sizes in the United States generally run from 000 (the smallest) to 50 (the largest). However, it is also common to see the diameter measured in millimeters (MM). Please be aware that U.K./Canadian sizing is very different. For example, 000 in UK/Canadian Sizing is equal to 10 in U.S. sizing, but they both have a diamter of 10MM. You need to be aware of the sizing standard used by the pattern. Many knitting needle companies will indicate the standard (US or UK) as well as the MM diameter. If you are in doubt, please ask for help at the knitting counter.

Style

For most beginning knitters, the best knitting needle style is the straight needle. The capped ends by which they are recognized help stop stitches from falling off the end of the needle. For more intricate and advanced knitting patterns you will use specialty needles.

Material

The most popular materials used to make knitting needles are plastic, metal, wood and bamboo. Not only do each of these materials will feel different in your hands, but they will also interact differently with the thread you have choosen for your project. Plastic and metal needles are very smooth and cool to the touch, but they allow the thread to glide so easily that many beginning knitters can have some difficulty using them. Wood and bamboo needles are warm to the touch, a bit more flexible, and have enough friction to help a beginning knitter to manage the stitches better, but they break more easily than metal or plastic. You will want to try them out to make sure they feel right to you.

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