Knitting Needles

Scroll down for information on :

1. Knitting Needle Sizes
2. Straight versus Circular Knitting Needles
3. Buying Knitting Needles
4. Knitting Needle Point Styles

Knitting Needle Sizes

The table below shows the equivalent knitting needle sizes in UK, Canadian, US and metric.

Straight versus Circular Needles

Let me admit it now, I love circular knitting needles. Good quality circular needles (and I stress good quality) are a joy to work with. The bulk of the weight of your knitting rests on your lap, the shorter needle tips are very comfortable to hold, you can use them for straight or circular knitting and you don't end up losing one of your needles down the side of the sofa! There are even bamboo sharp tipped circular needles available for lace knitting.

I use Addi turbo circular needles and KnitPicks interchangeable circular needles, both shown below. I would recommend any knitter to try them in place of straight needles. A set of circular needles will prove more versatile than a set of straight needles, so there is a money saving aspect too. If you've been unimpressed with circular needles in the past then you will be pleasantly surprised, these needles are beautifully made and the stitches slide effortlessly from the cord to the needle tip.

I find the 60cm / 24 inch and the 80cm / 32 inch length circular needles the most versatile. If you are knitting in the round it is amazing how many stitches you can comfortably fit on the needle. The problem is if your needle is too long requiring the knitting to be stretched, this distorts the knitting and makes it hard to move the stitches around the needle.

If you have 2 circular needles you can do circular knitting of any size which means you don't need to resort to double pointed needles even for knitting socks. I even knit i-cord on circular needles, it's a little slower than on shorter double pointed needles but I can't see the point of buying double pointed needles just for the rare occasions when I want to make an i-cord.

Admittedly they're not quite as pretty to look at as some of the beautiful straight knitting needles that are available. While I use mainly nickel plated needles, I do have real affection for the look and feel of wooden needles. Knitting with 4 or 5 double pointed needles also looks far more impressive than the simpler option of using 2 circular needles. But, if your vanity can bear it then circular knitting needles are the way to go.

Buying Knitting Needles

Sadly many knitting shops in the UK stock the most horrible knitting needles! You will enjoy knitting far more with a nice set of needles. The poor quality need at the top of the photo was actually more expensive than the high quality Addi turbo needle shown at the bottom.

I've already confessed my love of Addi turbo and KnitPicks circular knitting needles, but if you want straight needles then there is plenty to choose from. If you knit tightly go for a very smooth material such as aluminium.

Wooden needles are generally pleasant to work with. You can get rosewood, ebony, bamboo and birch needles all from sustainable sources.

If you plan to use double pointed needles you may find bamboo or wooden needles easier to use. They are less slippery than metal needles so they don't tend to slip out of your work at inopportune moments.

Point Styles

If you tend to help the stitches off your needle by pushing on the point of the left needle then look for blunt ended needles.

If your stitches tend to be very tight on the needle then the point style of your needles could be to blame. Needles with a long taper make it more likely that you will be forming your stitches on the thinner part of the needle rather than on the shaft of the knitting needle (see the photo above). The result is that when the stitches are moved onto the main shaft of the knitting needle they are too tight. A blunt ended needle style might help solve the problem.

If you just naturally knit very tightly, and you really can't learn to loosen up then go for more pointed ends. The sharper pointed ends can also come in handy for lace work.