Knitting needles come in various sizes, kinds, and materials. You can borrow from a friend to try out different kinds, and speak to the staff at your LYS, who can recommend an appropriate needle type and size for your project.
To begin with the Simple Collection designs, all you need is a set of US#8 / 5mm straight or circular needles.
Materials :::
Plastic is cheap and cheery, and is a good lightweight option, especially in larger sizes. Metal is slippery and indestructible (my favourite). Bamboo and wood are more grippy than metal, and warm to the touch. Try different kinds and decide which you prefer (it will likely be different for different kinds and weights of yarn).
Types of Knitting Needles :::
Straight needles are traditional, but they are the least flexible in use. I almost never use them, but some people prefer them.
Circular needles are very flexible, because you can use them for knitting flat (in rows) and also for knitting in the round.
Double pointed needles are used for knitting in the round, because they can be used for very small numbers of stitches as well as for larger diameter pieces. Alexa often uses double pointed needles, but I prefer to use a longer circular needle with the magic loop method for knitting small diameter in the round.
If you begin knitting, and can tell you will love it, an interchangeable needle set may be a good purchase. Interchangeables come with set of different size needle points and a variety of cable lengths, so you have every needle size you need, and won’t need to buy new needles for every project.
Bright and Beautiful designs:
New Knitters, Begin Here! | Tin Can Knits
February 24, 2022 @ 6:00 am
[…] Needles […]
February 8, 2022 @ 10:16 am
Hi! I’m looking at the Rye socks pattern and it call for DPN 3.25 and 3.75, but I find only 3, 3.5 and 4 mm here. Should I substitute up or down?
February 10, 2022 @ 1:59 pm
Hi – I think you’ll be best off with 3.5 and 4mm needles for the Rye socks.
September 3, 2021 @ 4:51 pm
Hi, Can you tell me where you got the image of the circular knitting needles with the flat ends. I have been looking everywhere for a seller.
September 6, 2021 @ 7:01 am
Hi, I’m not sure what you mean about circular knitting needles with ‘flat ends’. I think there are knit picks interchangeable needles and Addi fixed circular needles shown, if that helps.
February 18, 2021 @ 6:28 pm
Allo. I would like very much to have the totorial for the cardigan, thank you .
February 18, 2021 @ 10:21 pm
Hi Marie – You can find all of our project tutorials here: https://tincanknits.com/support/category/project-tutorials
Let’s Knit a Hat | Tin Can Knits
August 18, 2020 @ 3:13 pm
[…] Needles: You will need 3 types of needles for this hat. Circular needles in 2 sizes as well as double pointed needles in the larger size. Why all the needles you ask? The smaller circular needle (US 6 / 4mm) is for the ribbing, which you want to be a little tighter. The larger circular needle (US 8 / 5mm) is for the body of the hat. The Double Pointed Needles (DPNs) are for the decreases in the hat. If you don’t want to use DPNs you can also try the Magic Loop Method with a long circular. For more information on knitting needles check out our needle post here. […]
Let’s make a Beloved Bonnet | Tin Can Knits
March 31, 2020 @ 10:54 pm
[…] You can find the pattern on our website or Ravelry. The pattern lists the supplies you need; yarn, needles, stitch markers, and what gauge to achieve, but to be honest, matching gauge precisely isn’t […]
Let’s knit a scarf | Tin Can Knits
October 22, 2019 @ 3:33 pm
[…] and 5mm circular needles (if you don’t know a thing about yarn check out this post, or needles check out this post). There are many yarns and needles that will work for your first scarf so we recommend a trip to […]
March 2, 2016 @ 9:54 am
I’m an intermediate knitter, but I’ve never done a swatch for gauge. do you have a tutorial or other information anywhere that teaches that?
March 2, 2016 @ 9:04 pm
Yep! You can check out our gauge tutorial here.
January 18, 2016 @ 3:06 pm
I am looking at the Simple collection- and trying to not buy a ton of needles–but I think I still need different lengths- is it possible to get around this, or…?
January 18, 2016 @ 9:47 pm
It will depend on what you are knitting. For the Wheat the length doesn’t much matter, for a blanket you will need a 24″ or longer, hats generally take 2 sizes of needles because you want a nice tight rib at the start. The needles recommended are ones you would use often for hats though, a good investment in my opinion. For the cowl you will need a 16″ for the short and a 32″ for the long (no way around it). Socks you can use double points or a long circular (you can try a 32″ but I find a 40″ needle suits me better). For the sweater you will need all the recommended needles.
July 30, 2013 @ 12:41 am
Apart from yarn, needles are my next big love. I am always buying more it would seem. :-)