Types of Straight Needles Used for Knitting

Series Summary

Knitting has always been a popular hobby. Dating back to the 13th century, the process of knitting, which literally means to tie or join, has been seen by many as a great way to pass time and produce handmade gifts. The possibilities are endless, and an expert knitter can produce a wide variety of items, from gloves to hats to sweaters and scarves. One main reason that knitting has had such an enduring popularity in a time where the automated manufacturing of clothing has made it almost obsolete as a means of production, is that a knitted garment, unlike a store-bought one, shows an extra level of thoughtfulness due to the hand-created feel that knitted items have. In these videos, you will learn all the steps necessary to get started knitting. You will learn what types of supplies you will need, as well as see examples of different types of knits and stitches. After watching these videos you will be able to start creating your own knitted items.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I’m Kelsey. I’ve been knitting for several years and I’m a member of several knitting organizations. Today I’m going to talk about the kinds of needles you might want to use for different types of knitting projects. I’m going to talk specifically about straight needles. These are the most common type of needles when you are knitting back and forth. As most projects are done flat, you use straight needles. Needles come in all sizes, this is a size 1, and these are size 13. Much bigger. The size of the needle and also the weight of the yarn determine the drape of the fabric. A lot of time you will use these smaller needles for delicate work such as lace, and the bigger needles for bulky yarns that knit up quickly like a blanket or an afghan. When you are choosing a needle, one of the biggest choices is material of the needle. The come often in wood, plastic and metal, plastic and metal being the cheaper and easier to find. It doesn’t mean that they are any worse though, each kind has it’s benefits and disadvantages. Metal ones are really durable, which is nice. They’re cold to the touch which some people don’t like. They can be heavy, but these are really light. Aluminum ones are really light. They are the easiest to find. The broadest range is going to come in metals, so that’s one thing to consider. Plastic are a little cheaper. They’re lighter and the warm up when you hold them which a lot of people really like especially if you’re dealing with arthritis or carpel tunnel syndrome or sensitive hands. Also a lot of times your bigger, thicker needles, these are a 10.5 and the 13’s I showed you, come in plastic most often which is nice and they are cheaper. Wood is the most expensive option, but it’s the prettiest, the lightest and also warm to the touch. These are bamboo clover which is very light, they are also made in mahogany and other exotic woods, particularly by Brittany, which is a distributor of wood needles. Those have really elaborate carved ends and they are very pretty, but they are fragile. Another thing to consider is that metal needles are slipperier so they can knit faster which is one benefit to that. When choosing a needle size, you want to keep in mind the weight of the yarn and the recommended needle size in the pattern. When choosing a material you want to try different kinds and see what works best for you."