How to Choose the Needles for Knitting

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Knitting is a relaxing, portable and creative hobby, but choosing the right knitting needles could be the difference between a pleasant pastime or a big frustration. There are many different shapes of irons depending on the project, and they come in different sizes and materials. How to choose the right ones?

Steps

Step 1. Take into account the object you are creating

While all knitting needles serve virtually the same purpose, there are different types and designs. Some needles are specific to a certain type of knitting (such as knitting with circular needles or making the braid), while others can create a variety of knitted items.

• The most common knitting needles have a pointed end to create the new stitches, while the other has a cap or knob to prevent the stitches from falling out. Straight or single pointed needles are used in pairs to work flat pieces.

  

• Circular irons are two straight irons connected with a flexible plastic cord. The cables come in different lengths, usually between 30 and 150cm (measured from the tip of the iron). These needles can be used for both flat and circular knitting, so some knitters think they are a better investment than straight needles. If you are planning to do circular work, you will need an iron that is just slightly smaller than the circumference of the object you are creating. Unless you are planning to use one of the following techniques where circular needles are used to sew seamlessly in the round: the Magic Loop (you will need a long cord), 2 Circles (two needles of the same size are used) or the Traveling Loop o Single Circle (pull out a loop of cable as an extra).

  

• Two-pointed needles, or game of needles, have both pointed ends and are usually sold in packs of 4 or 5 needles. They are used to work seamless circular objects such as socks.

  

• The needles for braids are very short and can be straight (like two-pointed needles) or hooked. These serve a specific role in working the braid stitches.

  

• Interchangeable Iron Kits are exactly what the name implies - a set of irons and cables of varying lengths that you can connect and disconnect as you like to create many different iron sizes. If you are planning on knitting a lot, this could be a great investment. Plastic sets can be found at knitdenise.com, while knitpicks.com offers both wooden and metal sets.

Step 2. Choose the right size for the needles

Since knitting needles come in many different diameters and lengths, these factors should be taken into consideration when choosing needles for knitting a project.

• Diameter.

  The thickness of the rods determines the look and size of the finished project. The thicker the needles, the wider the stitches and the more elastic and slower the final result. The smaller the needles, the smaller the stitches will be and the final fabric will usually be tighter and thicker. There are many different systems of measurement, but the irons are quite comparable between one system and another. See the table below to understand the various measurement systems.

  

• Length. While the stitches can be compressed into almost any row length, it is important to choose a length that allows you to easily knit the needles between rows. A very large project will usually require some irons or a very long cord. A small flat project can be worked on needles of any length, but a circular project will require a small circular needle, double-pointed needles, or a technique used to avoid excessively long pieces of wire on a circular needle. Another factor is the wool that is chosen for the project (thicker yarn means fewer stitches will fit on the needle). Most straight irons are between 25 and 40 cm long, and the cables of the circular wires vary between 30 and 150 cm.

  

Step 3. Choose the material

Irons are made of many different materials, the most common being bamboo, plastic, and aluminum. The skill level of the knitter and the thread used must be taken into consideration when choosing the material for the knitting needles. For beginners it is best to choose irons that are not too slippery and that will cause stitches to fall out. A more experienced knitter, on the other hand, might prefer a smooth surface for the knitting needles to allow the stitches to slide faster.

• The bamboo needles. Bamboo is warm to the touch, strong and lighter than aluminum. Since bamboo has a slightly textured surface, the stitches stay in place, making bamboo an ideal choice for beginners. In addition, this material is well suited for hands with arthritis problems. Bamboo irons are more flexible than metal, but less so than plastic ones. However, with a diameter that is too thin, the bamboo could bend or break easily.

  

• The metal irons they are the heaviest ones, but also the most resistant ones and do not bend easily. Metal irons are cold to the touch and slippery. More experienced knitters prefer them because the stitches move quickly on the fine surface. They are not the best irons for beginners as the stitches fall off the tip very easily. Metal needles are good for all types of yarn, especially wool, wool blends and acrylics. The most commonly used types of metal are aluminum, steel and nickel plated.

  

• Plastic irons are very easy to find and very popular. They are smooth, slippery and the stitches move fast. Plastic irons are very flexible. Wider irons are often made of plastic to reduce weight. Plastic irons are excellent for all types of yarn.

  

• The wooden irons they are smooth but not slippery, making them a great choice for beginners and for slippery strands. The finishes are different depending on the brand. These irons exist in many varieties of wood, although the best are hardwood ones. If too small in size, such as those made of bamboo, the wooden irons can break very easily.

  

• Square irons are particularly suitable for beginners and those with hand problems as they create more consistent stitches and need less tension in the hands to keep them in place.

Step 4. Choose the right caliber

You will need a sample of the gauge before you start knitting. A specimen should be approximately 2.5 cm longer than the exact gauge as the dots are distorted at the edges, so be prepared to start a few more dots on each side of the specimen. Since stitch size varies from knitter to knitter, the needle size specified in a project may not necessarily be the right gauge (even if you are using the suggested thread type). It is therefore better to have many irons of different sizes.

Advice

• If the yarn you are using is very intricate, it may be better to use smoother irons, while if the yarn is very smooth and slippery, it is recommended that you choose irons with a minimum of resistance. Take a good look at the needles before buying them and think about the thread you will use to understand which one might be better.
• Knitting needles are a great investment. They can last a very long time and can be passed down for generations. Never throw away knitting needles unless they are damaged or bent so badly that they cannot be used. If you really don't think you'll ever knit again, give them away.
• Needles, like socks, have a bad habit of being mismatched, so put a rubber band around the pairs of needles. However, the rubber bands may leave a gummy residue on the irons if you don't use them too frequently. Tie them together with some thread to keep them longer. Alternatively, you could make or purchase a needle case similar to those recommended for straight irons.
• Keep your irons in a safe place. A great way to store them is to make or purchase a pencil case. Straight irons can also be kept in decorated buckets or pen holders. Circular needles that do not have the size printed above should be stored so that they can be easily identified - often the bags that contained them at the time of purchase are perfect for this purpose.
• See this table to understand the measurement systems: Template: Needlesizes
• Examine the tips of your irons to make sure they are not bent or damaged. If so, then the time has come to throw them away and buy new ones.

Warnings

• Keep irons away from small children. They are pointed and if they play with them, they could get hurt.
• Don't buy all sizes and lengths of irons in one material before you know if you enjoy working with that material. Some knitters love bamboo needles; others think they are too fragile or can damage their project. First understand what you like.