Everything You Need To Know About Knitting Needles
Let’s be honest, standing in your local craft store and looking at all the different knitting needle types is very overwhelming.
For many beginners, they have no idea where to start. “What type of knitting needles are best? Does knitting needle size matter? What knitting needles are best for beginners?”
Don’t give up, because I am here to help you! It may seem very overwhelming, but I PROMISE that knitting is so easy to grasp and learning about knitting needles is a lot easier than it seems.
I was once in your shoes. While I learned how to knit as a child 20 years ago, I never had to purchase any supplies until I started getting back into the hobby. The options of different needle sizes, types, and materials of different needles overwhelmed me. By doing my own research and trying out plenty of knitting needle types, I was able to figure out what works best for me.
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What is the difference between straight and circular knitting needles?
There are 2 main knitting needle types:
Straight knitting needles
Circular knitting needles
Straight Knitting Needles
Straight knitting needles are the most basic needles and are often what beginners start with. These needles are used for flat knitting, or knitting back and forth.
They come in 2 different forms: single pointed needles and double pointed needles, also known as dpns. Single-pointed needles have a ball-like end tip so that the yarn won’t fall off the needles. Dpns are very different as they have 2 pointed sides. Dpns are typically used to knit small circumferences like a top of a hat, mittens, gloves, etc. Since they are used for small circumferences, they come in sets of 4-5 needles.
You can knit back and forth using dpns but it’s a lot trickier as you can easily lose stitches off the other side. I wouldn’t suggest dpns if you’re a beginner.
Circular Knitting Needles
Circular knitting needles are two needles that are attached together by a cord. Typically, circular knitting needles are used for continual knitting, known as knitting in the round. However, you can also knit flat when using these needles.
Personally, I prefer circular knitting needles for a few reasons.
I have the clover interchangeable knitting needles. I can twist off the cord as different cords are different lengths, and put the cord on another pair of needles. If you plan on knitting a lot of pieces, I’d suggest interchangeable circulars for this reason.
The second reason is that circular needles are a lot easier on your hands and wrists than straight needles. I find I don’t need to stop while knitting a project on circulars as I do when I knit using straight needles.
The only small downfall with interchangeable circular knitting needles is the price. They tend to be on the pricer side, especially depending on the material of the needle you choose.
As stated earlier, they are connected by a cord. The cord length is important for different projects, but we will get into that later.
Are interchangeable knitting needles worth it?
If you are always knitting, yes they are worth it.
Getting a good set of interchangeable knitting needles is expensive, but if you’re knitting a lot of different projects, it’s worth the money. You’ll be saving money by getting interchangeable instead of having to buy multiple needles to fit what you need.
Not all circular needles are interchangeable, on some the cord is permanent. By having interchangeable, you can easily switch needle sizes while doing projects or if you have to hold a project to the side, you can leave it on the cord and just simply twist off the needles.
An interchangeable circular knitting needle set comes with multiple different knitting needle sizes & cord sizes. You’ll be all ready to knit up plenty of projects.
Knitting needle materials
Now that we talked about the different types, it’s time to pick the type of needle material you want to use to knit. There are lots of different needle material types like:
Metal
Plastic
Bamboo/ Wood
Carbon Fiber
Glass
Metal
There are a few different metal knitting needles like aluminum, stainless steel, and nickel. Often, beginners tend to pick metal as their first choice as they are easily available at local stores.
Metal needles are easier to work with as the stitches can easily slide off the needles, however, this can also be quite annoying as you may lose a stitch and not even realize it until you’ve done a row.
Since metal isn’t that flexible, they are often very hard on the hands. Because of this and my own personal experience, I only have a few of these.
Plastic
Plastic knitting needles are the most affordable, however, because of how cheap they are, they tend to warp and bend.
Because of this, I am not a fan and I don’t personally own any anymore.
Bamboo / Wood
Bamboo and wood knitting needles are very similar. The only big difference between the two is the price, with wood being slightly more expensive.
Both needles are a great choice for beginners, especially because you won’t easily lose stitches as you would using metal needles.
Bamboo and wood are my go-to for knitting needles. I will say from my experience, I find that the bamboo may start to split at the tip of the needle. This can be very annoying, with the yarn catching each time you knit a stitch.
Also, if you’re a frequent traveller who travels by plane, having bamboo and/or wood needles is a huge benefit as most airlines only will allow these needles. Make sure to check beforehand if the airline allows them.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber knitting needles are needles I have yet to knit with due to being on the pricier side.
These needles might be pricy, but from reading reviews, many other knitters live by carbon fiber needles. They are a very strong and flexible needle.
Glass
Believe it or not, there are glass knitting needles. Again, these are knitting needles that I have yet to try. If I’m being honest, a little scared to try these.
Glass knitting needles are smooth and surprisingly pretty strong. Because the needles are made of glass, they need to be properly and safely stored.
Does knitting needle size matter?
The short answer is yes.
Each different weight of yarn has a different recommended needle size. Do you know how sometimes you’ll find very thick, bulky yarn? And then some very fine, thin yarn? This is the weight of the yarn. The finer the yarn, the smaller the needle and the thicker the yarn, the bigger the needle.
The size of the knitting needles matters as they will determine the size of your stitches, which will determine the size of your finished project.
Here’s where things tend to become overwhelming for beginners: needle sizes.
But I promise you, they are much easier to understand.
Knitting needles come in millimetre & US sizes. They’re are so many sizes to pick from, so how do you pick one for your project!
Knitting Needle Lengths
Needles come in different lengths, and it all depends on the project for what length of needle to get. This is another reason why I love interchangeable knitting needles.
Straight needles are typically available in lengths from 10″ (25 cm) to 14″ (36 cm), while DPNs are available from 4″ (10 cm) to 10″ (25 cm).
Circulars are attached by a cord. The cord length comes in a much larger variety of sizes of 16″, 24″, 29″, and 36″ (40 cm, 60 cm, 80 cm, and 90 cm). Because of the different length sizes circulars have to offer, these are my personal favourites.
If you’re knitting up a hat, you’ll need a 16″ (or 40 cm) cord whereas when knitting a sweater, you’ll need a bigger cord and possibly more than one size. This is why I prefer interchangeable knitting needles.
How do I know what knitting needles I need?
If you’re a beginner, you’re going to want to follow a pattern. Patterns always advise what needle to use, but it may depend on your gauge.
Patterns give you a needle size to work with for the project. Make sure to knit up a gauge swatch first to ensure that these needles work well for you and your project. If you’re a tight knitter, you may need to size up in needles and if you’re a loose knitter, you may need to size down in needles.
Always start with what the pattern suggests.
And don’t forget, with practice, you can work on your knitting technique so you can be less of a tight knitter or a loose knitter.
Best Knitting Needle Sizes For Beginners
Truthfully, the best knitting needle is whatever is needed for your project. Every pattern will let you know what size is recommended. If you’re knitting in the round, they will clarify what length cord is needed.
Typically, I think beginners should start with thicker yarn which for needle sizes, you’ll be looking at needles sizes 11 US (8 mm) and up. Knitting bulkier items is a lot easier than thinner yarn, plus with thicker yarn and bigger needles, you’ll finish the project faster. The faster you finish a project, the more you will want to make.
Every knitter should have at least these 2 sizes listed below, especially beginners as these are the 2 most common knitting needle sizes you will find in knitting patterns. That is size US 7 (4.5 mm) and US 8 (5 mm). You’ll find that most patterns require either one of these.
Tips for Beginners
Once you become more knowledgeable in knitting and understand your knitting technique (being a loose or tight knitter), then picking needle sizes will become much easier and knitting with thinner yarn will also be easier.
With that being said, a tip for beginners to avoid becoming discouraged is to not start right away with a thinner yarn or a smaller-weight yarn. Projects made with a smaller weight may take longer, especially when you are first starting out and you may become discouraged.
As stated earlier, knitting with thicker, bulkier yarn is a better choice for beginners.
Thanks for reading & happy knitting,
Kate