BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting Knitting needles

I've written an article on some of the different kinds of knitting needles available today which can be found here - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art42827.asp

What kind of knitting needle do you like using best? I still like knitting with two straight needles, but I also enjoy using circular needles, both singly and in pairs.

What type of knitting needle do you like best? multiple choice
	Two straight knitting needles
	Set of four or five double pointed knitting needles
	Circular knitting needles
Votes accepted starting: 07/07/06 11:08 AM
View Results

I voted for 2 straight knitting needles - though circular needles would probably have been easier for the leg warmers I made.

I use different needles for different yarns. For example, when I knit socks (or should I say - sock. The second one never happens.)I use bamboo because the stitches don't fall off. When I use boucle yarn, I like Turbo - type needles.

It's different "tools" for different projects.

Hello, I'm new here and wanted to post. I use the straight needles but I want to learn to use the circular ones soon.
<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

hello! I am new here too. twin sister to flynflower who just posted to this forum. Im excited about finding this place...

Pamela

Hey why isn't my siggie showing up? I used the http code of [img]jjjjjjj[/img] or [img]jjjjj[/img]

oh I see now , the html is off so I put it in my avatar. ok that's fine <img src="/images/graemlins/computer.gif" alt="" />

Hi how nice to have twins with us - welcome to the forum both of you!

I must say I thought that with the number of two needle patterns around two needles would be the most popular so I'm pleasantly surprised that so many people enjoy using circulars!

I use circulars all the time, until I get to decreasing so small that I need dpns. I also prefer Addi needles to anything else, though working nylon yarns with Addis can be really frustrating! If you look at it funny, stitches drop. Bleah.

D.

Have you seen the knittinghelp.com videos on working with one long or two shorter circular needles for knitting small circumference items? I use those methods all the time now and have more or less stopped using double points!

I've tried that 2-needle method but didn't like it. I don't have a problem using dpns like some people do, plus I have every imaginable size from when I had the store!

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> lucky you!

I learned to knit on circulars, and still prefer them. They just seem tidier to me. I hate the way the other end "flops around" on singles, and double points just make me nuts! I'm forever dropping stitches!

One of the nicest and most-used gifts my husband ever gave me was the Boye NeedleMaster set of circulars. Now I kind of covet bamboo circular needles and the Denise set, but I'd feel disloyal to my sweetie!

I tried the circular needles but my wrists started hurting really bad.

I thought you had to cast on all the way around on circular needles. I don't know anyone who uses them...

You do Samten. You might like to take a look at the videos on www.knittinghelp.com, they'll show you how to use circulars.

Do you knit with the yarn in your left or your right hand? I knit with the yarn in my right hand and sort of balance the circular needle against my thumb to steady it while I flick the yarn round it with my index finger. I'll try and get a photo taken of how I hold my needles. I got shown how to do it one day when I was sitting in a hospital waiting room and an older lady saw me struggling with my circular needle and showed me an easier way. I tried it and it worked.

I also hold my needles under the palm of my hand, not over my hand like a pencil as I've seen in the knitting videos! This is probably because I was taught by my great aunt who held her long straight needles from under her hands with the knobs tucked under her elbows. Gives you a lot more control than letting go of the needle each time you make a stitch.

I voted straight and circular.
I prefer to use straight needles but occasionally need to use circular especially if I'm going to have numerous stitches on the needles that wont fit as well as circulars do.

Becky, I've had all those sets, and ended up selling them all and sticking with Addis. The Boyes (I might have had a bad set) all had sticking-up parts at the joins, so my yarn was always snagging. The Denise were OK but the tips were rather blunt, and also, having the thicker plastic connecting cord made it hard to slide stitches along the length of it. And the bamboos wear down way too quickly. I'm holding out for Brittany to start making circs!

Several years ago they had a note on the "news & notes" section of their website stating that circs were on the way, but I notice they still don't make them, and the news note is gone. Oh well...

Donna

Straight except when nothing but circulars will do. I find myself having to "untwist" the circulars.

I agree, I love my Addi circulars and Inox straights. I must say I do wish the manufacturers would have "beta testers" to let them know of potential problems with items they make before releasing them on the public.

If they just wouldn't twist! Anybody have tips on how to keep that from happening?

Cat Bordhi suggested in her socks book that you hold the needle cord above a hot kettle for a couple of minutes and it certainly worked with my Addi's, though I can't vouch for any other make.

Mine generally straighten out after 10 rows of knitting or so (from the weight of the yarn pulling on them), but then I am usually knitting heavy sweaters...

Read somewhere, years ago, about a woman who sat on the cable part and held one point in each hand (like sitting on a swing and holding the chains), then she would pull side to side on the points...something about either the friction, or the warmth of her [censored], straightened out the cables. I have never been desperate enough to attempt this!

Hi Gillian,

I prefer circulars, anytime I can I use them even for just straight knitting. Thanks for the Knitting help link that is really cool.

LOL, I can't believe it was censored!!! I love this forum.

I use only circulars... 2 circulars for knitting socks and other circular things,, 1 circular for straight knitting. It is so much easier on the hands.

This is an old thread, but then...so am I <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />! I knit Scottish style with the right needle tucked under my arm. So I prefer the single pointed straight needles either Aero/Prym for speed or bamboo if I'm knitting fine lace/cobweb yarn. I do knit on circulars when I'm doing the Shetland shawls because of the number of stitches (upwards of 500) but I'm not as fasst because I actually have to hold the right needle.