Choosing a Knitting Needle to Match Your Project
When choosing a needle for your next project, what do you think about? Do you look through the needles you have and choose the right size? Do you need a new size and buy a metal one just because you always buy metal ones? What do you consider when purchasing a new needle? My Sister Knits encourages you to think a little deeper about this.
If you’re using circulars, what length cable do you need to accommodate your project?
Our favorite knitting physical therapist, Carson Demers, author of Knitting Comfortably, the Ergonomics of Handknitting, gives us all sorts of things to consider when buying knitting needles. We should, first and foremost, consider the yarn we’ll be knitting with and then choose a needle that will pair well with it.
Blue Sky Fibers Metallico is 50/50 blend of alpaca and silk, a very slippery yarn!
Is the yarn sticky or will it slide easily along a needle? If it’s plied, are the plies tightly spun together or is it loosely spun? What about the color of your yarn and the color of your needles?
Biches + Buches Le Petit Lambswool is ‘sticky’.
If it’s a sticky yarn, you’ll want a needle with a slick surface, such as metal, to reduce the friction. If it’s a smooth yarn, you will most likely want a wooden needle with a bit more ‘grab’ so your stitches will be less likely to fall off the needle as you knit.
This tightly spun Must Stash sock yarn would pair well with a sharp tip.
Now consider the structure of your chosen yarn. This will inform your decision on how sharp you’ll want your tip. If it’s loosely plied, a blunt needle that won’t easily split the plies might be your best choice. If it’s a tightly spun sock yarn, you might want a sharp tip.
Blacker Yarns Bamboozle is more loosely spun and might benefit from a more blunt tip.
Your choice of tips can also be driven by any texture in your pattern. For instance, if you’ll be making cables, a nice sharp long tip would make those cables easier. Give some thought to the stitches required in your pattern!
Another thing for consideration is the color of yarn and the color of your needles. If you’re using dark yarn, use light colored or reflective needles. If you’re using light yarn, use darker or less reflective needles. Make it easy on your eyes!
Check out the different tips on these! The bottom one is also a square needle.
Now, let’s talk about the decision to use straight needles or circular ones. Circulars, because of their cable, make it easy to keep the weight of your project centered and in your lap. That reduces strain on your forearms and wrists.
Straight single point needles, on the other hand, leave your knitting project unbalanced with the weight on one needle as you knit from one to the other. This increases the strain on your forearms, wrists, and hands, therefore increasing the possibility of repetitive stress injuries.
It helps to choose circulars with a flexible cable. If you have a cable that is kinked or curled up, soak it in very hot water for a minute or so. I put mine in boiling water in a skillet but I only let the cable be in the water, not the join or the shaft of the needle.
These are the tips on two 16” needles. There’s a big difference in the length of the shaft!
Another thing to remember is that it is not only okay but preferable to have a variety of needles for use with different yarns and different types of projects. Using the right needle makes knitting more enjoyable, less stressful, and reduces the likelihood of a repetitive stress injury. As with any endeavor, you need the right tools for the job!
It’s also preferable to have more than one project going at once, using different yarns and different size needles. It’s good for you!
Ask us about our needle options the next time you start a new project!
Announcement:
My Sister Knits is looking for the perfect outgoing, cheerful, upbeat person to join our team! Contact julie@mysisterknits.com for details! You don’t need to be an expert knitter, we’re looking for people skills and a willingness to learn!
Happy knitting,
