This knitting needle guide is for beginners. You’ll choose cool knitting needles like a pro :).
In a hurry? Here are the best needles.
My Quick Recommendations
- My Top Pick – Knit Picks Sunstruck Needles
- Best Luxury Option – Addi Linos Circular Needles
- Best Budget Pick – Clover Takumi Needles
Start knitting with these knitting needle options!
I reviewed and updated this post on September 6, 2022.
Table Of Contents
- Addi Linos Circular Needles
- Clover Takumi Straight Needles
- What Needles Are Best For Kids?
- How Do You Choose Knitting Needles?
- Q&A
Best Knitting Needles For Beginners
Here are the best needles for a starting point in your knitting journey! Hope you find my buying guide helpful.
Addi Linos Circular Needles
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Designed to make the dive into using circular needles much easier, these are the perfect choice for your first set of circulars.
With the quality from an excellent company like Addi, these are guaranteed to last for years.
They’re popular with advanced and beginner knitters, so you should find them in your local yarn shop.
Features
- Made by the family-owned Addi in Germany
- Smooth surface but with plenty of grip
- These things are simple and easy to use
- Brass & Nickel, and plastic cords
Pros
- This style is for beginners, children and those with smaller hands
- These pairs have lifetime warranty
- Great if you’re learning how to speed knit
- Suitable for many weight yarns
- Shorter, blunter tips
- Two different colored coatings for easy learning; one tip is brass, the other is Turbo (nickel plated)
- A pair of these is perfect for speed knitters
Cons
- This needle type might be small for someone with larger hands
Clover Takumi Straight Needles
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These excellent clover bamboo knitting needles are made in Japan from ethical, sustainable materials.
The quality materials make a difference!
Features
- Handcrafted in Japan from local Takumi Bamboo
- Knitting Needle Size – 9″
- Excellent quality needles
Pros
- Perfect length to handle, but not too much to be cumbersome
- Fair return policy for these bamboo needles
- Use with any knitting yarn and for all knitting projects
- This brand has many sizes available
- Resonable shipping to the U.S.
- Smooth bamboo material
- These knitting tools are great for all stitch patterns
Cons
- Beginners may find these needles too small
Comparable Products To Consider
Looking for other options?
- Try Chiaogoo Straight Bamboo Needles
- Also check out the other series of Chiagoo needles
- Or Knitter's Pride Basix Knitting Needles
- Want smooth, budget friendly interchangeable needles? Try the rainbow options interchangeable circular set
What Needles Are Best For Kids?
Length-wise, a needle 7-10″ long is suitable.
Ensure the needles kids use are rounded at the points, and the two needles are easy to control and work with.
An option is Knit Picks Sunstruck needles. They’re made from laminated birch and have a pointy but not too pointy end.
What Makes A Good Knitting Needle?
The qualities you want to look for in a beginner’s needle are:
- Good grip
- A smooth surface to slide stitches off the needle,
- Not enough to lose your stitches accidentally
- Larger needle size
- Needles made of bamboo or wood
For child knitting needles, plastic is best.
How Do You Choose Knitting Needles?
Buying low-cost needles affects your knitting experience. You’re better off using quality knitting materials.
Avoid cheap ones at the dollar store. You don’t want something to break in your hand after a few uses!
Looking for a complete set – yarn, needles, project, so you don’t have to decide? Get a knitting starter kit.
In search of the best online yarn stores? Look at my guide.
The Best Beginner Needle Sizes
The needle size relies on what yarn weight your particular garment needs. The yarn label recommends a needle size.
(Most experts, including Marly Bird, recommend worsted weight.)
Do many projects? Buy different sizes of needles.
Going to knitting stores to buy more needles whenever you start a new project is annoying.
(Except it’s an excellent opportunity to buy more yarn!). Don’t worry; there is a solution! Interchangeable needles.
Having a needle set is handy because you don’t have to worry about having the right needles for a project.
However, they’re expensive.
Knitting needles are labeled with sizes.
- Smaller knitting needle sizes – thinner yarn
- Bigger needle – thicker yarn weights
Check your gauge with a swatch before starting a creation.
Is It Easier To Knit With Big Or Small Needles?
Bigger size needles are best for beginners. Knitting with larger needles and yarn makes larger stitches.
Project knits up much faster. Don’t use small needles because they are much harder to knit with.
What’s The Best Needle Size For Beginners?
A needle US size 8, 10, or 13. Start with 9-10″ (23-25cm) long needles. They’re the easiest to handle.
Needle Size Labeling Systems
There are four ways to classify knitting needles’ sizes.
- US
- Metric (MM)
- Japanese
- UK
Metric needle size 2mm and a US needle size 2 aren’t the same. A US size 2 is a metric size 2.75mm.
Best Needle Materials
- Bamboo
- Wood
- Metal (aluminum, brass, nickel)
- Plastic
Some needles are made of wood or bamboo. These are an excellent choice for beginners.
Wooden needles are made of wood like rosewood.
Metal needles are slippery and hard for beginners to use.
Experiment until you find the one you love best.
Q&A
What Is The Easiest Thing To Knit For Beginners?
- Bulky scarves
- Infinity scarves
- Afghans
Knitting a dishcloth is also simple. You knit a square, and the most straightforward pattern is garter stitch.
What Is The Best Size Knitting Needles For A Scarf?
- Medium-sized yarn (size 4), use US size 7 – 9 needles.
- Bulky yarn (size 5), use US size 9 – 11
- Jumbo weight yarn, use US size 17+
Now you can select the best beginner knitting needles!
Have questions? Leave your thoughts below using your email address. (I don’t publish it!)
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