Knitting Needles HELP!

moneytight

Needle advice needed urgently...

I'm recently new to knitting and love my chunky marble yarn,
and i need to buy some 6mm needles..

i'm currently using the metal type and seem to be ok with them just they dont seem very pointy..

i have done lots of reading and struggling work out what straight 6mm needles are best to buy?

is there a certain brand thats best?
whats best 25cm/30cm/35cm?? the ones i got at the moment are 30cm .

any help advice as to what brand where to buy etc (idealy online) aslso i dont want to spend loads on them..

I keep on going back and forwards from the pro knit nova straights ?

i dont want to have to buy new ones few months down line as i chose wrongly or cheaply.


any advice help is great

wondercollie

Most of mine are aero brand. Take yourself into a thrift store and look at the ones there. You can feel them and look at how they've survived being used.

Added factor is if you like them, buy them. Way cheaper than new.

Lilyplonk

I've been using Aero brand needles for over 40yrs and never had any problems with them.

As regards the length of the needles - much of that depends on your own particular 'style' of knitting OR how many stitches you've got on your needles.

For example: I knit with the end of the right needle secured just in my 'armpit', so need the longest length that I can get my hands on. Of course, this can be a bit of a bind when I'm knitting smaller items with only a few stitches - but I just can't knit in any other manner, despite trying many times to get into holding the needles differently.

Pink_Fizz

I really would not worry about brands of knitting needles, they are pretty much all the same, if indeed there is any difference at all, I buy just what size I want whichever brand happens to be on the shelf.

Most people use metal needles, they don't need to be "pointy" as you want them to slip through the loop not stab through the stitch.

Needle length is which you prefer, although if you are doing big garments with loads of stitches you might prefer a longer needle, personally I find it easier with shorter needles but then again Lilyplonk prefers the longer ones, it really is a case how you prefer to hold your needles, but don't stress about it just try a couple of different lengths and see which you prefer, half the time I can't find two the same length so I use one long and one short :rotfl:

Needles last forever some of my thinner ones are bent and wonky but then again they are donkeys years old some are even in the old sizing but they are fine to knit with.

As with most things you can spend a fortune trying to buy just the right equipment but invariably it is just practising with what you have and you will get more proficient, but most of all enjoy your knitting

MadelinesMum

wondercollie wrote: »

Most of mine are aero brand. Take yourself into a thrift store and look at the ones there. You can feel them and look at how they've survived being used.

Added factor is if you like them, buy them. Way cheaper than new.

Charity shops in my area seem to have expensive knitting needles. I think it's because many of the ladies that work there are knitters. It doesn't help their stock though because no-one buys them.

peachyprice

I don't mind what brand I have but they have to be slippy, I find the metal ones are better, I have some plastic ones that are more matt that don't slide enough for my liking.

As for the length, that depends how wide your work is, it's not so easy working a narrow piece on long needles but it's also more difficult to work a large piece on too short needles. I have different lengths in the same sizes.

THIRZAH

I've not noticed any difference in the various brands of knitting needles. Hobbycraft are fairly good for needles or ask in some of the smaller charity shops, they often keep needles under the counter.

I have a pair of UK size 20 needles-not sure what that is in mm-for knitting with one-ply wool for my dolls house. They are very pointed and a nightmare to knit with.

meritaten

I am wondering if your complaint that the needles are not 'pointy' enough is because your tension is too tight? do you do 'tension squares'?
If you are finding that the needles are not slipping easily into the stitch then it could be the above or the needle isnt smooth enough.
Brands of needles make no difference to me - I know some knitters always use metal or plastic or bamboo - but I dont care which I use! I have never noticed a difference!

sonastin

I've acquired some needles from my mum/gran/grandma, some from the wool shops local to my work or in the village where my fiance used to live, some from john lewis (I was in a rush & trying to finish a present!). My mum found me a pack which contained loads of pairs of different sizes in a charity shop so that is my main needle collection now. The one thing I can't tell you is the brand of any of them! Pretty sure that they're all metal. No idea on the lengths of any of them. The "pointy" ones hurt the tip of my finger because I've got a habit of pushing the needle back through the stitch.

The reason I'm telling you all this is because, to me, you're overthinking the whole thing! I'd buy the cheapest I could find and work with them. If you're new to knitting you won't know your style yet so its hard to say what's going to be best for you. Start cheap, develop the knitting habit and the skills. And upgrade your kit to better/different when you can recognise what is important to you.

For me, the most important thing is a pattern I enjoy knitting and a wool I want to work with. The 3 projects I am not getting round to finishing at the moment are all things that are too difficult for different reasons so there is no pleasure in working on them. The needles they are on are a small and insignificant part of the challenge!

valk_scot

If you're finding that you're struggling to get the point of your needle into knitting done on 6mm needles, chances are you're knitting very tightly. Not only does this muck up your tension/gauge, it also makes life difficult when you advance to colourwork, cables or lace.

The three main factors that contribute to very tight knitting (assuming you're knitting english throw style rather than continental) are....

1) Tensioning your yarn in a death grip by winding it round several fingers. Between one or two is usually enough.

2) Knitting on the points of the needles rather than the barrels, which will give you a smaller loop every time you wind the yarn round.

3) Giving the yarn an extra tug after you've formed the stitch, usually because you're afraid of the stitches sliding off. You don't need to do this. Knitting should flow, not jerk along the needles.


Knitting continental style has its own set of problems but knitting on the tips is the main one when you're finding your knitting is too tight.


As to needles, no 6mm needle is going to be that pointy. Only skinny needles get to be pointy! As to needle types the best straights out there are still the old Aeros, availible at a charity shop or ebay near you. The current easily availible Pony needles are a bit meh, as are the older Milwards. The standard length for straights is 14"/35cm, but if you like to tuck a needle under your armpit while knitting 40cm needles are easier...if you can find them. If you're knitting a really large piece like a blanket or shawl use a circular needle to hold all the stitches but just work back and forwards rather than round.

KnitPros are okay, but expensive for what you get and rather over-rated imho. 95% of knitting comes from you and unless the needles you're using are rusty or bent they really don't make that much of a difference. There's a lot of needle snobbery around though!

Raksha

I've just started using a pair of bamboo kneedles which came free with a magazine, and I love them as they are much lighter and better balanced. Other than that, I generally use circular needles to keep the weight down