The Knitters Bible
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GETTING STARTED

NEEDLES AND EQUIPMENT

There are three types of needles, in a rangę of sizes. lengths and madę from different materials.

Straight needles are used in pairs and have a point at one end with a fixed knob at the other. Stitches are worked using the pointed end; they cannot be removed from the other end. They are used for fiat knłtting. working across a row of stitches moving them from one needle to the other. tuming the work and working back again, and continuing back and forth.

Double-pointed needles are used in sets of four or five and have a point at each end. Stitches can be worked with one end and can also be removed from the other end.This means you don't have to tum your work at the end of each row.

In fact you can continue knitting in a spiral and produce a seamless continuous tube.This is called circular knitting.

Circular needles consist of a pair of needles joined by a flexible nylon wire.

They have a point at each end and. like double-pointed needles. you can work from both ends and so knit in rounds to produce a seamless tubę.

Plastic, metal or wood. including bamboo are used to make needles. Each has its own characteristics and can help or hinder your knitting experience. Metal can be cold and inf)exible to work with, but it is morę slippery than other materials and can help you knit faster. Wood. bamboo or plastic on the other hand are warmer and morę flexible, and are smooth rather than slippery.They grip the stitches a bit morę which is quite useful when youre beginning to knit and don't want stitches sliding off your needles. Wood and bamboo warm up in the hands and are light to use.Try different materials and find the one you are most comfortable with.

The tip of the needle is also something to consider. Some needles have a blunt tip and some have a sharp tip. A blunt tip is harder to insert into stitches but is better to use with a loosely spun or thick yam. A sharp tip can split the stitches but is useful when working pattem stitches or knitting with a tight gauge (tension).

The size of a needle is determined by its diameter and there are three sizing systems. In the US. needles have the American s«ze and metric equivalent. In Britain. they have the metric size with the old UK size. The table shows you how these sizes compare; however some needles have no exact equivalent.

Three standard lengths are available.

I Oin (25cm), 12in (30cm) and 14in (35cm). Use longer needles for projects with a large number of stitches and shorter needles for fewer stitches. The stitches should ftt snugly along the length of the needle. not crammed together where they can easily fali off the end. Long needles can be awkward to knit with; you need a lot of elbownoom to work comfortably. Many knitters find it easier to use a circular needle instead. working as for fiat knitting. and tuming the work at the end of every row.

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