Best Knitting Needle Set Reviews 2018

You can buy cheap knitting needles that are made of low-quality material that probably won’t last very long. Or you can pay a few dollars more for bamboo or metal needles that will add a few stars to your craftsmanship, and for years to come. If you’re shopping for your first set of knitting needles, know that the price typically depends on the size, formats, materials used, and the number of needles in the set. In addition, the brand of knitting needles can make a difference in the price, but like they say “you get what you pay for”.

Knitting needles may come across as basic accessories, but in essence they are equally important as the yarn you use.

That said, here are a few features to look for when buying a set of knitting needles:

• Quality – the quality of knitting needles varies across materials including plastic, casein, bamboo, or exotic materials such as rosewood, birch, and walnut
• Type– depending on your project and personal preference, you should buy the right needles to suit your knitting style. Options here include straight needles, circular needles, and double-pointed needles
• Size – consider the diameter and length of the needles because this will dictate the resulting stitch size

As mentioned earlier, knitting needles can be ordered in several different sizes, where the length of each needle dictates the number of stitches that can fit on the needle and the diameter determines the resulting stitch size. Knitting needle kits often include several different sizes of needles so you can choose the best one for your project. Each needle is etched with the diameter dimension for easy reference. Speaking of diameter sizing, it’s important to note that US needle sizes are not the same as UK, and due to the possible confusion that can occur from this, most manufacturers include an easy-to-understand metric size guide in the package.

Next, knitting needle formats is what you need to take a look at, where the most common are referred to as single-pointed and are similar in design to oversized carpentry nails. Traditional straight needles are ideal for beginners, who can explore other variations such as double-pointed needles as their skill level increases. Double-pointed knitting needles are a bit trickier to use, and are ideal choices to knit small, round, tube-shaped items. Circular needles have been around since the early 20th century and some knitters claim that they are the best thing that could happen to this hobby. They’re actually a combination of two straight needles combined by a flexible cord, and are a great choice for large knitting projects.

Knitting needles are made of several different materials, from metal or wood, to plastic. Glass and resin knitting needles exist but are less popular. For the most part, material is a matter of personal taste. However, certain materials offer distinct advantages over others. For example, bamboo needles feel warmer in the hand than their metal counterparts, and hence they are a great choice when knitting in the winter. Adding to this, bamboo knitting needles are lightweight and less slippery than metal, making them a great choice for beginners. But metal does offer a fair number of benefits, including the fact that they allow stitches to move more quickly to the advantage of seasoned knitters. Plastic knitting needles are yet another viable option for novice knitters and are easily available.

The above information may come across as complex, but with practice you’ll get a feel for how a specific needle affects your knitting habits. High-quality knitting needles generally last for years to come as long as you use them for what they’re designed for. By choosing the right set of needles, beginner knitters are off to a solid start and seasoned knitters continue creating remarkable designs.