Knitting is considered to be the best relaxation activity. Apart from acting as a stress buster, it also helps in boosting our brainpower. And how can we forget about the beautiful garments that can get anyone's attention? However, getting your hands on the best knitting needle set is indeed a tricky task. You will find numerous knitting needles at the local stores, but are they reliable, and can they be trusted to give the best results? To help you clear your doubts, we are here with a comprehensive buying guide on knitting needles that will break down all the factors to consider for getting the most suitable needle set.
What Are the Advantages of Using Quality Knitting Needles?
As we discussed, knitting is indeed a creative art. Thus, if we use the best quality needles, it can enhance our skills and craftwork. Canvas is the best friend of a painter, and similarly, knitting needles are the key to success for knitters. We do not want you to spoil your luxurious yarn by knitting it with cheap quality needles. There are various types of knitting needles that are used for preparing different types of garments. Let's have a look at them.
What Are the Various Types of Knitting Needles?
Straight Needle
The straight needles are the old-age classic pins used for knitting separate parts of any woolen cloth, and then these parts are sewed for making the final garment. In these types of needles, all the cloth weight is supported on the needles. Hence, if you have weak wrists, then it is not the best type of knitting needle for you.
You can use this type of needle for small projects like crafting socks, caps, craft pieces, and other similar items. However, it is not advisable for beginners. For knitting lace, get your hands on special sharp tip straight needles, also known as lace needles.
Circular Needles
This type of needle is the modern version of classic needles. Technically, two straight kinds of needles are connected with plastic or nylon cord. They allow for easy knitting as most of the wool weight is handled by the connecting cable. Besides, you can knit in straight as well as circular directions without worrying about stitching separate parts of the garment after knitting.
It is the best option to choose if you have weak wrists, painful arms, or you are just starting with your knitting craft. You can seamlessly knit large-sized garments like sweaters, shawls, big afghans, scarfs, and more. However, make sure to purchase a needle with a flexible cord or it may knick with the yarn and spoil your project.
Double Pointed Needles
The next type of knitting pointer is the double-pointed needle. It has two-sided tips that help in faster knitting. You usually require four to five double-pointed needles for completing the knitting of a sizable woolen garment. These types of needles are generally smaller and have ridges, a hook on one end, or a U-shaped bend in the middle to prevent them from sliding off.
You can replace a circular cable needle with a conventional double-pointed needle. However, if you are a newbie and learning the knitting art, these needles might not be the best option for you as they can hurt your hand due to the two-sided pointed design.
Interchangeable Needles
Another innovative version of the needle to make knitting more effortless is the interchangeable needle set. You can adjust with cable and needle length as per your need and convenience. It is the best type of knitting needle for newbies and expert knitters. Some products have a click-attached design for connecting the needle, while others might require the needle to be tightened up like a screw to the main cable. Hence, if you tend to lose needles while crafting woolen clothes, this type of needle set will serve you the best.
Which Are the Crucial Factors to Consider While Buying Knitting Needles?
Length
The length of a knitting needle is determined by starting from tip to end without including the safety knob or handles. Besides, there are different conventions for determining the needle length, including the American and the British measurements. You can go for a long knitting needle if you are knitting a large-sized garment. In contrast, the smaller-length needles require more precision with perfection for knitting and are recommended for master knitters. Hence, do not forget to check the length of the knitting needles before selecting the final product.
Number of Stitches
The number of stitches in a pattern is the next crucial factor to focus on for buying the most suitable knitting needle set. For example, when working on circular knitting projects, knowing that it is cast with 30 stitches of lightweight yarn, you can go with a 25 inches long needle. On the other hand, casting those same 30 stitches on a 40 inches circular needle will not work because the stitches must go around the full 40 inches, and there aren't enough stitches to do so.
What Are the Various Types of Knitting Needle Tips?
There are majorly two types of tips found in knitting needles. One is the sharp and pointed tip, also known as the lace tip, while the other is blunt and round-shaped, much safer for hands. Lace tips are specially used for knitting dense wool yarn and garments like sweaters. They are faster in terms of speed than blunt tip needles.
On the other hand, you can use the blunt tip for knitting delicate yarns that easily split like cotton or acrylic yarns. Besides, it is beginner-friendly and can be used without the safety caps. So after clearing your requirements, get your hands on the needle set that is most suitable to your needs.
Knitting Needle FAQ
Q: Which knitting needles are best for arthritis patients?
A: The circular needles are considered to be the best ones for arthritis patients or a person who has a weak wrist and arms. This type of knitting needle is designed in such a way that all the weight of the yarn does not fall on your hands, and you can quickly knit big garments.
Q: Which knitting needles are used for blankets?
A: You can use the size eight circular knitting needles for crafting blankets. They are long enough to hold long and worsted weight yarns.
Q: Can I recycle the knitting needles?
A: Yes, you can recycle the plastic knitting needles for making various DIY crafts. However, most knitting needles are non-recyclable once they bend or break.