Knitting Needles HELP!

azzabazza

I personally converted to bamboo several years ago as I found using the metal needles my hands got a bit sweaty and the yarn 'stuck' to them! Recently we got my Mum knitting again (she is 87 and has Alzheimer's) as a relaxation therapy. My local thrift shop sold me 5 pairs of needles for her for £1. I was so delighted that I gave them an extra £1 for their funds! I would say that the brand name is unimportant. I prefer 35 cm needles purely because I find them more comfortable to handle. Hope you find something to suit.

moneytight

valk_scot wrote: »

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.

Thank you so much for the above its helped me understand right away why i struggled last night as i was knitting really tight and i do the above habits, but today i losened off and didnt do any the above and no tight stitches all look the same its great

my partner brought me the knitpro nova straights they were under £5 delivered, which we didnt think was bad.. not tried them yet

big thanks for the advice on the tight stitches and the rest of you for your advice on the needles :T:T

dogcat_2

Raksha wrote: »

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

I also love 'bamboo' knitting needles. I got mine from a charity shop.....in fact I got all my needles from there.;)

Happyscrimper

Pink_Fizz wrote: »

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

I'm with Pink Fizz on thi one. Yes, you can get special ones if that is what you prefer to do, but 90% of the ones I have were given to me by someone. They do the job just fine, and some of them are a bit bent but they have stood the test of time. If you like pointy ones, then i would go to a wool shop and look at what they have in the type you prefer. Don't splash out on the needles til you know if you will stick with it or not. You might do one project and then find that it doesn't take your fancy..But even if it does, you will get used to your needles with practice whatever brand they are. I honestly couldn't tell you what mine are. Most of them are the old metal ones, but my bigger needles are all plastic but work just fine too.

Just grab some and get knitting
We are currently working on a knitted patchwork quilt for our friend who is having a baby. It's good fun working on a project together and we will have something for baby momma when we go to visit her home from the hospital.

Good luck and enjoy!

welshgirl78

Well there is some fab advice in this (admittedly old) thread so I thought i would also dive in with a question about needles etc...

Is the general "rule" / "advice" to work thinner yarns with smaller gauge needles (or crochet hooks) and fatter yarns with fatter needles? Or is there some other suggested way of getting the best pattern? I would look at the tension square but lots of my wool is missing the label...

TIA

parkgirl

I have various needles in all sorts of lengths. I have plastic, wooden and metal needles that I have had since I was a little girl and that I was given by my old aunt when she taught me to knit 35 years ago. I have bought new needles in a real shop but nearly died when I saw how dear they were ha ha. I now buy all my needles in charity shops for coppers. I like buying patterns in there too - I love vintage!

Drachenfach

welshgirl78 wrote: »

Is the general "rule" / "advice" to work thinner yarns with smaller gauge needles (or crochet hooks) and fatter yarns with fatter needles?
TIA

Generally, yes. If you're working from a pattern it will usually recommend a thickness of yarn and needle size, but most people need to go up or down a size to get the right gauge (though it doesn't always matter)

This link http://www.ravelry.com/help/yarn/weights might hep. It describes the different yarn weights, and how to measure them by wrapping them round something (like a ruler) and measuring how many wraps cover a square inch. So even if your yarn is unlabelled you will know its weight. After a while you will know by feel anyway.