Quilt Patchwork Patterns

3 Things to Look for in Knitting Needles

When choosing the best knitting needles, start with the project’s requirements.  The pattern will indicate a preferred needle size, as well as the number of stiches in the gauge swatch.  Depending on how tightly you work your stiches, you may find that you will need needles either slightly larger or slightly smaller than the size called for on the pattern.  When you are buying your first knitting needles, you would do better to go to a craft store that features a large knitting department, or to a knitting shop.  The staff are generally quite knowledgeable and are very willing to help you choose the best knitting needles.  Don’t forget to take your pattern with you.

Size

Standard knitting needle sizes in the United States generally run from 000 (the smallest) to 50 (the largest).  However, it is also common to see the diameter measured in millimeters (MM).  Please be aware that U.K./Canadian sizing is very different.  For example, 000 in UK/Canadian Sizing is equal to 10 in U.S. sizing, but they both have a diamter of 10MM.  You need to be aware of the sizing standard used by the pattern.  Many knitting needle companies will indicate the standard (US or UK) as well as the MM diameter.  If you are in doubt, please ask for help at the knitting counter.

Style

For most beginning knitters, the best knitting needle style is the straight needle.  These are easily recognized by the capped end which helps to stop the stiches from falling off the end of the needle.  The specialty needles are used for more intricate and advanced knitting patterns.

Material

The most popular materials used to make knitting needles are plastic, metal, wood and bamboo.  Not only do each of these materials will feel different in your hands, but they will also interact differently with the thread you have choosen for your project.  Plastic and metal needles are very smooth and cool to the touch, but they allow the thread to glide so easily that many beginning knitters can have some difficulty using them.  Wood and bamboo needles are warm to the touch, a bit more flexible, and have enough friction to help a beginning knitter to manage the stitches better, but they break more easily than metal or plastic. You will want to try them out to make sure they feel right to you.

Choosing the Best Knitting Needles

When buying knitting needles, there are many options for you to choose. Not only do you have to decide on what type you need, but you also have to choose what type of material the needles are made from. Both decisions are influenced by what you will be knitting and by personal preference. To help you choose the best knitting needles for your project, here is a brief description of these two factors.

Materials Used For Needles:

Knitting needles are made from a variety of materials. The type of material used provides friction that will influence how easy the stitches come off the needle. Sometimes a smooth needle is required for speed and other times a rough needle is preferred to prevent stitches from slipping off by accident.

Wood: These needles have a rough surface. They are light weight and considered environmentally friendly because it comes from a renewable resource. Bamboo needles are a very popular wood option. Bamboo is particularly environmentally friendly because it can grow as fast as 3-4 feet in a single day.

Metal: Metal needles are very smooth. This allows the stitches to easily slip from one needle and onto another needle. Experienced knitters who want to complete their project very quickly prefer this type of needle. Metal needles are very durable and hard to break. Aluminium is the most common type of metal used for metal needles.

Plastic or Acrylic: These needles are light weight, flexible and inexpensive. They usually have a different colour for each size the needle comes in, especially when they are sold as sets.

Types of Needles:

There are three main types of needles: circular, double pointed and straight. Each type of needle, often referred to as circular or flat, is used to produce different results. Flat knitting creates flat pieces, such as scarves, while circular knitting creates circular pieces or tubes without seams. Some needles can only produce one type of result, while others can create several different types of results.

Circular: Circular needles have two needles at both ends with a flexible cable in the middle. The cable is long, anywhere from 24 to 60 inches. The needles at the end are short, inflexible and have tapered ends. They make it easy to add new stitches, while the cable holds the stitches after they have been added. Hold one end of the circular needles in each hand when knitting with them. The advantage of circular needles is that they can hold hundreds of stitches, the stitches won’t fall off the needles and the flexible cord in the middle can rest on the knitter’s lap so that the weight of the stitches is not felt. Circular needles can be used for flat or circular knitting.

Double Pointed (Dpns): These needles are short and straight, but both ends of the needle are tapered. Stitches can be added from either end of the needle. Double pointed needles are used for knitting tubes, such as sleeves and socks. When knitting with dpns, four to five needles are used at the same time. One needle adds the stitches while the other holds the stitches in place. One specialized type of dpns are cable needles, which look like dpns, but they are shorter and have a dimple in the middle of the needle.

Straight Needle: The needle is long and straight. There is a knob or cap at one end, which prevents the stitches from falling off the needle. At the other end, the needle is tapered, similar to a sewing needle but it is blunt instead of being sharp. When knitting with straight needles, two needles are used. Straight needles are used for flat knitting, for example scarves or shawls.

Please visit Beautiful Creations to see the different types and sizes of knitting needles that are available. Are you still not sure of which ones to buy? Or are you looking for an easy project to do? Check out these Knitting Kits that come complete with all the supplies you need, including yarn, needles and pattern instructions.

Easy Knitting Patterns Tips

Good yarn, unique knitting patterns, exquisite items, all these normally reflect one’s personality in the finest way particularly when knitting is a hobby dear to one’s heart. In order to try something new, you can always search for inspiration and knitting patterns in books and magazines available online. If you are taking the first knitting lessons, then, go for the easiest patterns that present the highest degree of success for your skill. Things can get a lot clearer when you have access to quality informative materials with photos and comprehensive instructions. Consider the following elements whenever you take one step further in the direction of knitting evolution.

Knitting patterns cannot be discussed separately from the yarn models and features; various types of yarn have to be combined and checked to see how well they work together. It is good to know that many yarn retailers also indicate the best knitting patterns that match the specificity of the fiber. If you still do not find the answer with such web pages or craft stores, then, look through magazines and books for other knitting patterns to try. Once the pattern is clear, you may face the challenge of personal creativity. What can one do more in the direction of embellishing a garment?

There are virtually limitless options to combine elements and knitting patterns to achieve original fabric. Sometimes just a few cute flower buttons or a piece of ribbon used for trimming completely influence the appearance of the garment and contribute to enhancing the initial aesthetic effect resulting from the design. Given knitting patterns are not rules and do not have to be followed as such, an experienced knitter has all the freedom to improvise and add elements of personal inspiration. Some modifications could be under your expectations, but it is good to identify the mismatch or the error and either correct it or avoid making it the next time.

Knitting patterns can be actually called maps that have to be analyzed and decoded. What you read in   the pattern covers everything from needles and design to size and stitches. This code will seem all very confusing to the unexperienced knitter particularly when he/she doesn’t know the meaning of the abbreviations present in most knitting patterns. Yet, with some persistence to go through the instructions and determination to understand the basics of knitting, you will soon be able to decode the knitting patterns without any difficulty and get the work going.

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