PurlsAndPixels

There are a few kinds of knitting needles to choose from: straight needles, circular needles, and double point needles. Most knitting needles come in a variety of materials, including wood, bamboo, and metal. Try a few different types of needles to decide what feels the most comfortable to you.

When most people think of knitting needles, they think of straight needles. These are two matching rods, often pictured sticking out of a ball of yarn. One end of each needle has a sharpened tip. The other end has a knob, which keeps the yarn from slipping off. Straight needles come in varying lengths, which allow you to make larger or smaller items more comfortably, depending on the needs of your project. These needles are useful for making flat pieces of fabric. You can craft scarves, blankets, washcloths, and dishcloths with straight knitting needles. You can also knit flat pieces that can be sewn together to create a garment like a sweater.

More unusual looking, but also more versatile, are circular knitting needles. Most circular needles have a flexible cord that connects the sharp working points of the needles. You can use circular needles to knit flat pieces of fabric like washcloths and scarves. You can also create seamless knitted tubes to make things like hats, sweaters, mittens, and socks. Circular knitting needles are made in different lengths; the longer the needles, the more stitches you can knit. Shorter circular needles are perfect for hats and smaller accessories. Longer knitting needles are useful for projects like knit sweaters and blankets.

Double point needles (DPNs) are straight rods with sharpened points on either end. This allows you to knit with both sides of the needle. DPNs are mainly used for knitting smaller items that are tube-shaped, such as gloves, leg warmers, and baby hats. A package of DPNs typically comes with set of five identical needles. You will use at least three needles to hold your stitches and one needle to work into the yarn and make your next row. Often, especially in more simple patterns, the fifth needle is not used at all.

You can buy your needles in several different materials, most notable of which are metal, wood, and bamboo. Metal needles maintain their sharpness longer and are less prone to breakage than wooden and bamboo needles. On the other hand, wooden and bamboo needles are slightly less slippery than metal knitting needles; this means your knit stitches will not fall off them as easily as they might with a set of metal needles. Wooden and bamboo needles also make less noise as you work, minimizing the “clink” sound made as the needles come together. Bamboo weighs the least of the three materials, making these needles noticeably lighter, especially in larger sizes.

Metal needles, especially those of high quality, can last a lifetime and may never need to be replaced. Bamboo or wooden needles, on the other hand, can be easier for beginners to use, since they grip the yarn a bit better than a metal needle.

Circular needles are more versatile and can be used for many projects in the future since you can knit both flat and circular pieces with them.

Selecting a US No. 7 (4.5 mm) sized needle will allow you to make all the washcloth and face scrubby patterns in my Simple Washcloth Knitting Pattern Collection.

• A 36-inch (91 cm) long US No. 7 (4.5 mm) circular needle
• OR a pair of 9-inch (23 cm) long US No. 7 (4.5 mm) straight needles

*Bamboo or wooden needles may be easier than metal for beginners.

• A 36-inch (91 cm) long US No. 8 (5 mm) circular needle
• OR a pair of 9-inch (23 cm) long US No. 8 (5 mm) straight needles

*Bamboo or wooden needles may be easier than metal for beginners.

Finally, you will need a few tools. Learn about sewing scissors, darning needles, stitch markers, and stitch holders in the next lesson.