What’s in Alise’s Toolbox - Part 2

Knitting is a huge part of Knit Me Sew Me. That means knitting needles are absolutely essential. Knitting needles have come a long way from ones my mom and grandma used. I learned on metal needles. They were useful; however, I couldn’t stand the clacking noise they made. (Honestly, the noise drove me crazy!)

(From left to right: flex bamboo needles, circular bamboo needles, standard size bamboo needles, shorter bamboo needles, double-pointed bamboo needles, plastic needles)

Above is a photo of a TINY percentage of the knitting needles in my stash, and here is a bit of information about each one. As with crochet hooks, I have duplicates of lots of the needles, and bamboo needles are my absolute favorites!

Flex Bamboo Needles - These are the “flexible” version of the standard bamboo needles. These work well when you are working on a large project as each of them measures 20 inches, a bit longer than the standard needle.

Circular Needles - These are perfect for any project that is made in the round. I use these for hats as there is no seam! These come in three different lengths: 16 inches, 24 inches and 29 inches. The length to use depends on how thick the yarn is and the number of stitches the pattern calls for.

Standard Needles - These are by far the most popular length of knitting needle and the one I use a great majority of the time. They come in a wide array of sizes, and I have very single size available!

Short Needles - These are a shorter version of the standard needles. I use these when binding off stitches at the end of a project. They are less cumbersome to use than the standard size. These also come in lots of sizes.

Double-Pointed Needles - I can honestly say I that a “love-hate” relationship with these. I was so frustrated the first few times I tried to use these. However, many of my knitted hat patterns call for double-pointed needles when decreasing for the top. That old adage “practice makes perfect” is really true. I finally got the hang of it and even came up with my own technique, so this is now very easy for me.

Plastic Needles - Sometimes you need really large needles, and plastic is the only option. Totally not my favorite, but it is what it is and you have to go with the flow!

Until next time!

Alise

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