A Needling Question

Knitting needles come in all shapes, sizes, and materials.  There are straight ones, circular ones, flexible ones, double pointed ones.  They come in metal, wood, bamboo, acrylic, plastic, etc.  There are long ones, short ones, and various lengths in between.  So, which needle is the best?  The answer is ….. it depends.

It depends upon your personal preference, your knitting style, and the yarn that you are using for any given project.

To discuss all of the various types of knitting needles would be too voluminous; a novel really.  Since there is not likely to be a Pulitzer nomination forthcoming for blogging about knitting needles, this will be a high level look at using different needles for various situations.  Besides, if it was a really long story, you wouldn’t read it.

I learned to knit on my mother’s straight steel needles as a child.  That is probably why I prefer using metal needles.  I have tried bamboo and birch, but truthfully, not a fan.  Although I have long since switched to using circulars most of the time, I will still revert to mom’s old needles when appropriate.  I like the coolness of metal, and the ease in which the yarn slides along the needle.  By contrast, my friend Linda prefers the warmth of the birch needles.  Quite frankly, given the speed in which she knits, I’m surprised she hasn’t started a fire with those wooden sticks.

I tend to knit tightly, but generally achieve gauge with the recommended needle size for the yarn and/or project.  This may be due to the fact that the yarn tends to be more slippery on metal needles.  My friend Vivian decided to pick up knitting again, having not done so since childhood.  She is a continental knitter, and found my metal needles too slippery for her knitting style, so she went the birch route to help her with gauge.  Now that she has been actively knitting for several years, she finds that metal needles are working better for her. 

  

Regular Addi vs. Lace Point

The type of yarn also plays a factor in determining which needle is best for the project.  For example, I was knitting a stole with mulberry silk lace and found it to be very slippery on my regular metal needles.  Stitches were frequently dropping off the needles, and since it was a lace pattern, I was constantly picking up and correcting stitches.  Not a lot of fun.  So I purchased a set of lace points that are more pointed than the regular, and have a coating to keep the yarn from sliding quite so much.  I found them to be much more efficient for the task at hand. 

Another factor may be how tightly the plies are twisted in the yarn.  My friend Jane and I were both working on projects with yarn that contained cotton and in both cases, the yarn was loosely twisted.  The plies were easily separated, and I found that a more rounded point was better for keeping the plies together on each stitch.  Jane found the opposite was true for her. 

A couple of years ago, I was in a conversation with Joan prior to our monthly Guild meeting.  We were both making the Karner Wrap with a lace weight yarn from Americo Originals.  Joan was extremely frustrated with her project as she kept losing stitches due to the stitches sticking together on the needle and accidently knitting them together.  I had started the project with my regular rounded point Addi’s and soon switched to the lace point version when I also became frustrated with the stitches sticking together.  The sharper points easily separated the strands and eliminated the problem.  When I suggested this to Joan, she was not prepared to spend more money on another set of the same sized needles.  I have long since completed the project, but the last time I checked with Joan, she had put hers aside due to frustration.

 

There are two basic rules when it comes to choosing knitting needles:

Rule #1 – There are no rules.  It is personal preference.  Metal is not better than wood, nor vise versa.  Choose the needle that you like to use, and not necessarily the one that your friend likes to use. We all knit differently.

Rule #2 – If you are struggling with the project, then perhaps a different type of needle is required.  If you knit so tightly on wooden needles that you are fighting with each stitch, then try using metal to loosen up.  Or switch to birch if you knit very loosely.  Knitting is both stimulating and relaxing at the same time, and should be enjoyable.  If you are struggling with a particular yarn and getting frustrated, it’s time to try a different needle.  Finding the right tool for the job can change everything about it.  

I have a rather large knitting needle stash, but will still purchase other needles when the situation warrants it, or I just prefer something new – like ChiaoGoo red cables.  Ooh-la-la!  

The Needle Stash minus those in projects with a portrait of my grandmother, the woman who could literally knit in her sleep.

Needles are expensive, but so is your time and peace of mind.  You’ve heard of yarn tasting, right?  Wouldn’t it be great to attend a needle tasting where one could try different types of needles with various types of yarn?  That way, you would have an introduction as to which type of needle works best with each yarn for your knitting style.  Hmm, could be on to something here.

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter in the novel on Knitting Needles where we will discuss a comparison between straight, including double pointed, and circular needles!