Today is all about Knitting Needles.
Hi, Guys!
I'm Kristen and Welcome to Studio Knit.
Okay, so, we've done an overview on tools and yarn and now it's all about the knitting
needles.
So, let's talk about how to select your knitting needles.
There's lots of different kinds and I'm going to share with you a few that I think would
be perfect for you as you begin your knitting journey!
Let's figure out exactly which Knitting Needles will best help you start knitting!
Knitting Needle Type.
We will be using Straight Knitting Needles in this Series, which are two identical knitting
needles that are straight like pencils.
There are a variety of Knitting Needle types out there, there's double pointed, circular,
cable.
But we are keeping it old school and just using traditional, Straight Knitting Needles.
KNITTING NEEDLE SIZE.
Larger needles are usually best for beginning knitters.
I personally like size 11 US and bigger for beginner knitting projects.
There are 4 different systems for labeling Knitting Needle Sizes: Metric, US, UK, and
Japanese.
While shopping, you'll notice that most knitting needles are labeled with both the Metric (MM)
and United States (US) numbers, so we'll focus on those 2.
KNITTING NEEDLES AND YARN.
As mentioned when we looked at Choosing Yarn, we are pairing up your Knitting Needle Size
to your Yarn Weight.
Let's take a look at Craft Yarn Council's Standard Yarn Weight System here, helping
us to figure out which yarn and needles are best paired together.
If you are purchasing new knitting needles and decide to select knitting needles size
11 US or larger, that means you'll be on the hunt for Super Bulky weight yarns (#6) or
the newly created Jumbo weight (#7) by the Standard Yarn Weight System.
THE BENEFITS OF KNITTING WITH LARGER NEEDLES.
These larger sized knitting needles, they're easier to handle.
When starting out, many beginning knitters feel more secure with substantially sized
needles in their hands.
Another great benefit to knitting with larger needles is that your knitted piece will knit
up faster!
Heavier weighted yarns create larger knitted pieces, meaning you'll finish that scarf,
hat, or pillow faster when using larger knitting tools.
Again, if a friend has lent you some free needles, use them!
Even if they're on the smaller side of the size range, you know, you can't beat free!
Just refer to the chart to see which yarn weight pairs up best with your knitting needles.
And if this knitting series has been helpful to you, please LIKE up this video, it really
helps me out.
KNITTING NEEDLE MATERIALS, Knitter's Choice!
There are three main types of Knitting Needle Materials: Wood, Aluminum, and Plastic.
Wood: This is my personal favorite, as I typically knit with bamboo wood needles in my videos.
These can be a little bit on the more expensive end of the spectrum.
But you know, one set of bamboo knitting needles can be purchased for under ten dollars, so
it's really not that crazy.
I like the traditional look and feel of the wood needles.
They hold up great throughout the years and will last a long time.
Aluminum: Many knitters swear by aluminum needles, especially loving how quickly the
yarn slides off their needles.
I've found that beginning knitters sometimes can get frustrated by them, but if you already
have these on hand, give them a try.
PLASTIC.
This is probably the least expensive of the knitting needle types and it is a fine option
for beginning knitters.
The yarn will slide nicely off your needle, but won't be too slippery like the aluminum.
There is usually a really big selection of plastic knitting needles at your craft store,
so they're really easy to find, also.
ACTION ITEM OF THE DAY.
Decide on Knitting Yarn & Needles to Purchase.
Now that you understand all the basics of Knitting Yarn and how to select your appropriate
sized Knitting Needles, there's nothing holding you back from purchasing them now!
Once you're shopping or ordering, do make sure to add in a Tapestry Needle to your order.
We will take a closer look at why you need this little guy next on Day 4.
If you'd like suggestions on where to purchase your materials, I will have a link in the
description below.
And it's already time to get our Series Planner out and check off Day 3.
Thank you so much for watching.
I hope my information has helped you understand a little bit more about the wonderful world
of knitting needles.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below and make sure you are
subscribed to my channel on YouTube, click the little BELL to get notifications each
time a new video comes out and I also have a mailing list, I have that linked down in
the description below.
The mailing list is perfect because it's a way that I can directly communicate with you
each time new information is coming out that I know will be helpful to you, there's also
some knitting freebies in there, as well, so make sure to check that out and I will
see you next time, guys.
Bye!