Let the Lessons Begin! #1 Needles- Choosing Your Needles

Hello all!
    First and foremost I'd like to thank everyone for all of their loving and supporting comments on Facebook; I was so afraid to put myself out there out of fear of judgement but thanks to you all my fears have past.



Today's post will be my first lesson! I'll be going over needles and helping you to use the ones that best suit you. For those of you who have a hard time focusing for too long, I have listed bullets quickly reviewing what was stated in the paragraphs above them.

Knitting needles can be made out of a variety of materials.  Today however I will focus on the three main types of needles:  Aluminum, Bamboo, and Plastic. You can find each in just about any hobby/craft store.



1. Aluminum Needles- Aluminum knitting needles are sleek and polished which make for speedy knitting, Your yarn will easily slide on and off of your needles, they come in a large variety of lengths, they are very difficult to break, and they seem to be the most commonly found needles(I often see them at dollar stores). Although they are quick and easy, I tend not to buy them so much. Each pair of needles (depending on their size) are generally different colors and I prefer to have a uniform set. If mixing colors doesn't bother you then you should be fine. Their slipperiness can also be a problem. At times your needles can fall out of place and cause your work to unravel.

Pros:  

• They are strong 
• They allow you to knit quickly
• They are easy to find

Cons: 

• It is hard to find a color coordinated set(Each size tends to be a different color)
• They may slip out of place 

2. Bamboo- Bamboo needles are considered to be high end so they tend to be a little bit pricier(anywhere from $4-$12 a pair). They are smooth, generally uniform in color and they  have beautiful grain lines. They are not as sleek as the aluminum needles which means they can slow down your knitting(Especially when knitting your first row), but that problem can be easily solved by casting on more loosely. This can also be a good thing; Since they are not as slippery as Aluminum needles you are less likely to have them accidentally fall out of your work. They are also not as strong though not at all considered fragile.

Pros: 

• Natural
• Beautiful
• High Quality
• Will be less likely to slip out of place

Cons:

• May slow you down
• Not as strong as Aluminum
• Pricey

3. Plastic: Plastic Needles are flexible which can be helpful when knitting in the back loops or knitting multiple stitches together. Many brands carry needles with almost lava lamp like air bubbles through their centers. They can also be cheap so they would be a great buy if you are deciding whether or not you want to knit and may not want to invest too much money. They are weaker than bamboo and aluminum needles and tend not to come in various lengths. Like Aluminum Needles they tend to come in various colors, which again is a problem for me but not important.They may not be the best option for you if you are planning on doing a lot of knitting over long periods of time, especially with travel, they may not last.

  (The larger needles are stiff hollow plastic while the smaller needles are flexible)

Pros:

• Flexible
• Cute
• Inexpensive
• Great for children or those who may not want to invest too much in a hobby they aren't sure about.

Cons:

• Breakable
• Cheaply made(At times)
• Don't come in a wide range of lengths

I hope this post was helpful to you. I favor Bamboo needles but when I am knitting large items or items with a lot of color work or intarsia I most commonly use longer length Aluminum Needles. In the beginning I recommend trying a pair of each and deciding for yourself. After all, If you don't like them you can always take them back ;).

I shall talk to you soon!

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