How to Pick Knitting Needles
Picking the right knitting needles for your project can be confusing, given there are so many different kinds of needles out there. Plastic, bamboo, wood, metal, and glass are just a few of the different types of materials that knitting needles come in. There are also many different shapes and sizes--circular, straight, and even double point. Needles with a large radius are for thicker projects and small needles are for making a fine project, ranging from 2 to 15. The radius of needles affect the stitches, gauge, and the elasticity of your project. Therefore, choosing the right size of needles is very important in how your finished project will look. Here are a few tips on picking knitting needles.
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Instructions
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Think of a project before you go shopping for needles, especially if you are a beginner.
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Pick metal needles if you want to knit your project fast. Pick wooden or bamboo needles if you want a thicker project and if you want the needles to feel warm in your hands, instead of cold during winter months.
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Grab a large radius or small radius needle depending on the project and what the pattern says to use. Use needles with a large radius if you are a beginner, they are easier to work with.
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Knit with long needles or short needles depending on your preference and comfort. Choose longer needles if you want to make a wide scarf or project. Knit with circular needles if you want to make a long blanket. Use double pointed needles if you want to knit socks or sleeves.
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Use a needle gauge to determine the size of your needle, if the number of the size is not labeled or has worn off of the needle.
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Use a needle knitting needle conversion size chart, if your pattern lists a knitting size from a different metric system. See resources for information.
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Tips & Warnings
Be careful of dropping a stitch with metal knitting needles; their smooth surface makes dropping stitches easier.
Pick out a few different needles in the store and see what they feel like.
Ask a store assistant to help you if needed.
Resources
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