Choosing the right needles and yarn for the right tension can often be the key to success when starting a new project. If you are working from a pattern, most patterns will supply all the information required from what size needles to use and what yarns they suggest as well as the tension. We have put together a guide on on knitting needles, so you can achieve a perfect project from start to knitting.
Most needles will have a pointed end and at the opposite end a cap to prevent stitches from falling off. These are often referred to as single pointed or straight knitting needles, and will create flat knitting.
If you are planning to knit in the round for socks, seamless knitting or flat knitting then you will require circular knitting needles which are linked with a flexible plastic cord in the middle. These will vary in lengths and this will need to be considered for your project. The rule is generally to obtain needles a little smaller than the circumference of your project. Take into consideration any increases or decreases in the pattern and use the smallest circumference of the pattern. Double pointed needles (dpns) are pointed at both ends and come in sets of four or five needles and are also used for circular and seamless knitting and are great for socks. These are best for shaping and three dimensional knitting.
Consider any stitches and techniques you will be incorporating, for example cables. These will require a cable needle that is short and pointed at both ends.
Needle material
If you are a beginner, it's recommended to use bamboo needles which have a better glide and help you ease your stitches, but they wont fly off. Needles are available in metal, plastic, wood, bamboo and other materials. For some knitters, slippery metal and plastic needles help ease stitches off quickly.
Bamboo needles have a slight grip and are lightweight, perfect for beginners and arthritic hands. Bamboo needles can be applied to most yarns, they are flexible, however finer needles are known to break easily.
Wooden needles, come in a variety of woods including hardwoods which are by far the best. These too can be slippery and have a smooth surface. Often these are intricately decorated and make lovely gifts for a knitter. These too are likely to snap in smaller sizes.
Metal needles are heavy, but will not break when bent. As mentioned before these are a favourite with experience knitters due to the glide of the surface. The smooth surface is also great for hairy yarns such as mohair and alpaca. There are various metal needles from aluminium, steel and nickel-plated.
Plastic needles also allow stitches to move quickly, they are great for chunkier needles as they are still lightweight but strong and also not likely to break.
Needles are available in all sizes and length. Sizes available at knitshop.co.uk reach from as low as 1.6mm to 23mm giants.The thickness of a needle will determine the finished size, tension and look of your finished project. This will affect your knitting and the choice can be difficult but needs to be made at the start of the project and according to the yarn you have chosen.
The thicker the needle the larger the stitch, therefore the looser the fabric and possibly more stretchy the fabric. The finer the needle thickness, the smaller the stitch, the tighter the tension and the smaller the fabric will be. Depending on the yarn used, the fabric thickness can also be affected.
Beware though that needle sizes vary between the UK, the US and Japan. Usually Canadian knitting needles are the same size as UK needles. UK sizes, a little confusingly, start at 14 which represents the smallest needle around 2mm. UK sizes decrease as the size in mm increases. A 10mm needle will be referred to as 000.
We suggest that all beginners experiment with varying size needles. Create fabric swatches by using the same yarn, the same number of stitches and rows. Compare the difference between your swatches and this will be a great guide for your to refer to for all projects.
Even more confusingly, needles are available in varying lengths. Although this will not affect your project as much as circumference, it is still worthwhile considering. For wider projects, a longer needle should be used and narrower projects a shorter needle used. You will also need to consider yarn thickness in the equation, the thicker the yarn the more space it will take on a needle.
We hope the information about knitting needles, materials and sizes has proven to be useful to you. Watch out for another blog, we will explore yarn and needle recommendations for you.
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