Choosing Your Knitting Needle: Wooden vs. Metal
Jill WrightDescription
Knitting needles can be made up of a wide variety of materials. Typically, the needles are made of wood or metal. In this video, Jill Wright looks at the features of wooden knitting needles and metal knitting needles.
Wood needles are made of different types of wood, most commonly bamboo. These needles have a rougher surface, making them a good choice for slicker yarns, like those containing silk. They are usually lightweight and can flex slightly. Care should be taken as wooden knitting needles can completely snap and break. The tips of a wooden knitting needle are not as pointy as those made of other materials. Occasionally the tips of the needles can become rough and snag the yarn as the knitting project is being worked.
Metal knitting needles are commonly made from aluminum. Usually, they are slightly heavier than wooden needles; however, there are some metal knitting needles that are extremely lightweight. The needles can have varying degrees of pointiness at the tips; some metal knitting needles have extremely pointy ends. Because these needles are so smooth, yarns that have scales, like those containing animal fibers, usually work well with metal needles. Many knitters find they can obtain greater knitting speed when using metal needles.
As Jill notes, you’ll likely find your own preference when it comes to knitting needles. It’s important to find the right needles for you and your project!
Hi, this is Jill Wright, from The Knitting Circle. I'm here to help you choose which knitting needle. Do you need a wooden knitting needle or would metal be easier? Let's find out. So choosing your knitting needles, wood versus metal needles. Now the wood ones, they come in various different woods. These ones are bamboo, so they're pretty basic. You can also find some pretty woods out there. The wood and bamboo tends to have a slightly different rougher surface which tends to be better for the more slippery yarns like your silk. And bamboo and blends of those, they're obviously warmer to the touch than the metal ones are. They're lighter in weight. And sometimes they come in pretty patterns, different colors. Now the thinner ones, they can bend somewhat. It depends how rough you are with them. Usually they're okay. Now, if you look at the tips, depending on what kind of product you get, they can get a little rough, which I guess you could stand down if you need to. And if you're a super rough with them they could possibly snap. Now the bamboo is a replenishable crop so that's a good point for those. All right now metal, they obviously have a slicker smoother surface. I think they might be a little better for speed because they tend not to catch. Metal is great for natural fibers. It's a slicker surface, so if you have a fiber that has any kind of hair or scales on like mohair or wool, then that works really well with the metal because there's nothing for them to get caught on. They feel a little cooler to the touch than the wood which is a little warmer. The metal tends to be a little heavier than the wood. Now on the same side as the wood, the tips of the metal ones can chip sometimes because they're coated. They're aluminum and coated so they can chip. If you get super thin metal, they can bend but they would stay bent and it's really hard to straighten them out. And also the metal ones can come in pretty colors. So don't forget that, slippery yarns are better on the wood surface and more natural fibers, the fibers with hair or scales, they're easier to manage on the metal. Take your pick. Now you can make an informed decision about which needle to use, wood or metal. Which is it gonna be? The choice is yours. Don't forget to check out the rest of our knitting videos on the website. Thanks for watching.
what about plastic needles?
We cannot see the tips on the long thin wooden needles just your hands. I believe just because the screen is small. But thank you for the very helpful information. I have always wondered how to decide which type of needle to use. Thank You!