Technique Tuesday - What Kind of Needles Should I Use?

 

When I started knitting, I just picked up some regular aluminum knitting needles and acrylic yarn and started working.  It must not have been a bad combination!  But, with all the different needles around, what should you use?  Can you (and should you) use the same type of needle for all your knitting projects?  Those are the questions I’m going to tackle today.

Straight or Circular or Double Point?

The first thing to decide is if you need straight, circular, or double point needles.  The quick and easy answer is to say that you use straight needles for back and forth (flat) knitting, circulars for large-circumference knitting in the round, and double points for small-circumference knitting in the round.  But, let’s take a closer look.

Straight needles – These can pretty much only be used for flat knitting.

Double Point needles – These are generally used for small-circumference knitting projects, like socks and hats.  However, in a pinch, you can use a pair of double point needles with a cap on one end as straight needles.  Most double points are relatively short, though, so this little trick won’t work for trying to make an afghan.

Circular needles – Circular needles are the most versatile of the needle types.  You can use a circular needle to do flat knitting by just knitting a row and then sliding the work to the other end of the needle.  It also works well for knitting relatively large-circumference projects, but you are limited by the length of the cable.  For small-circumference projects, a circular needle can be used for doing the Magic Loop technique.  I’ve also been known to do knitting in the round with two circular needles when I didn’t have a cable needle with a cable the right length.

What material should I choose?

Knitting needles come in all kinds of different materials and, like fibers, most have their place.

Straight

Plastic – OK, I don’t want to be a “needle snob” here, but plastic needles just don’t feel good in my hands.  The real problem is that the plastic tends to make the yarn “stick” to the needle, an issue that is worse when using acrylic yarn.  I have trouble with finding a good use for these.

Acrylic – These are somewhat better than the plastic.  They don’t hold on to the yarn the way the plastic does, but they’re still not as smooth as I’d like.  They are inexpensive.  We had success with using these with kids in the elementary school and library programs.

Aluminum – These are the oldies but goodies.  They are inexpensive, come in several lengths, and are good with most yarns.  If you are on a limited budget, this is where I’d spend my money.

Bamboo – This is the most common wood used to make knitting needles.  It has a great texture that provides just enough “stickiness” to hold very smooth yarns, but not so sticky that it’s hard to work with.  They are generally affordable.  The only real problem I’ve had with bamboo is that my kitties have occasionally decided to chew on them.  I’m now pretty well trained to keep my needles put away.

Other wood – I have a couple of pairs of Rosewood needles that I like.  KnitPicks has some beautiful Harmony needles.  There are plenty of other wood needles available.  Overall, they are often heavier than bamboo and a little pricier, but they can be a nice luxury at times!  Hopefully, Patrick will be making some homemade wood knitting needles for us sell at The Knitting Nest – but the first pair are for me!

Double Point Needles

Aluminum and stainless steel – My issue with aluminum (and stainless steel) double points is that my stitches tend to slip.  This is more of a problem with double points than straight needles because you knit from needle to needle, leaving the other stitches hanging on the two extra needles.

Bamboo – Bamboo is the most common wood double point needle because the stitches are less likely to slide off.  The downside is that the very tiny needles (size 1 and smaller) are more likely to bend or break.

Other wood – I have one set of Harmony size 10 double points that I just LOVE!!  Honestly, I can’t say that they are any better than regular bamboo, but they look so cool!

Carbon Fiber – These are pricey little things, but I do love my size 0 carbon fiber needles.  They don’t bend like bamboo and provide a nice texture to keep hold of the yarn.

Circular

When considering a circular needle, you need to think about not only the needle portion, but also the cable portion.  Ideally, you’d like for the cable portion to be supple with a very smooth join between the needle and cable.  Generally, I prefer Hiya Hiya Stainless Steel circulars, but Addi Turbo is also nice.  (The Knitting Nest carries the Hiya Hiya brand – they’re high quality and the price is lower than others.)  Some brands of circular are now also available in a “lace” version – this means that it has a sharper tip, making it easier to do some of the complicated lace stitches.

Circular needles are also available in sets of interchangeable needle points and cables.  The set I got about 5 or 6 years ago has nice aluminum needles, but the joins between needle and cable aren’t smooth and the cables aren’t very supple.  That being said, there appear to be some more high-quality sets out these days.  If you get a chance to check them out, look specifically at the cables and joins.

I have been purchasing almost exclusively circular needles with 40 inch cables these days.  Very rarely do I need something with a cable longer than 40 inches, and I can use Magic Loop technique if the size of the item is too small for the 40 inches.  It’s not always ideal, but it’s reasonably cost-effective.

Stainless Steel – This is my favorite material for the needle portion of a circular needle.  It is generally pretty smooth and the stitches move easily, but since it’s a circular needle, there’s not the worry about the stitches falling off the back.

Bamboo – This can be nice for working a lace pattern where you might want a little more texture to the needle.  The very small needle diameters (1 and smaller) can bend – not necessarily the end of the world, but it bothers me.

Harmony wood – Again, I LOVE how the harmony wood needles look.  The feel is much like bamboo.  However, I’m not fond of the cables.  The join to the needle is not completely smooth and the cable is not as supple as I’d like to use the Magic Loop technique.

 

Hopefully, the next time you need to choose a needle for your project, you’ll have a little more information with which to make your choice. 

So, what’s your favorite knitting needle to use?  Did I leave any out?  Enquiring minds want to know, so leave a comment!

A Few of my Favorite Things–Cascade Heritage

 

I love knitting socks.  Socks are a great little project that I can carry with me.  It’s also pretty cool to start knitting a tube in one direction and then make the heel so that the tube turns 90 degrees. 

Socks can be knit in a variety of yarn fibers and yarn weights, but most people (including me) prefer a wool/nylon blend in sock or fingering weight.  Wool is preferred because it is warm and keeps feet dry.  However, nylon is often added to give some extra strength.

Which brings us to Cascade’s Heritage yarn.  This is a 75% superwash merino/25% nylon blend sock weight yarn.  What I like about it right now is how good it feels to knit.  It also doesn’t split, which is very important when knitting socks on size 0 needles and trying to do “M1R” and “M1L”.

However, you aren’t limited to socks with this yarn.  It works up very nicely for garments and is washable – great for kid’s clothes!

Heritage is available in solid colors, tweeds, and paints, giving you lots of variety from which to choose.

Next time you’re looking for a sock-weight yarn, stop by The Knitting Nest and check out our selection of Cascade Heritage yarn!

Three Weeks In and Having a Blast!!

The Knitting Nest has been open for three weeks and we’re having a great time!

• The website is up and working.
• Patrick should have a class list up by the end of the day on Monday.
• Our first class starts tomorrow (Monday) and is full!!
• Yesterday was a very busy day.  I think there were only about 15 minutes at a time that we didn’t have customers
• So far, we don’t have any one particular yarn that is selling better than the others.  Customers have been purchasing  a wide variety of items.
• I’m developing a better relationship with the cash register, although it did scream at me once yesterday and I had to get Patrick to help me out.  But, we’re making progress.
• We are getting more yarn next week!!  More info when it comes in.
• Don’t forget Thursday night’s Open Stitch Night from 7-9pm.

If you haven’t stopped by the shop yet, come on by to say Hi!!

(Almost) All About Fibers!!

When I started knitting, I knew almost nothing about the various types of fibers used to make yarn and fabric.  Since I grew up in Florida, where we rarely wore wool, I thought of wool as something very hot and scratchy.  My earliest knitting projects were all from cheap acrylic yarn because it was the most inexpensive yarn available and because I didn’t know much about different fiber types.  Once I discovered nice, soft wool, shiny cotton, and alpaca, I was on my way to becoming a full-blown “fiber snob”!  I wanted to work with only natural fibers.  Acrylic and nylon were dead to me!

Thankfully, I learned my lesson before I became too terribly obnoxious about natural fibers.  I still love wool, silk, alpaca, and all the other great natural fibers, but I’ve learned that there is a time and a place for everything (see the book of Ecclesiastes).  Here are some of the things that I’ve learned about various fiber types and when and where they are most useful.

Wool

Wool is the quintessential natural fiber.  It has been used for millennia to keep us “hairless apes” warm and dry.  Sheep are shorn and the wool is cleaned and spun to give wool yarn.  Some wool is scratchy and is best kept for use in rugs and other non-garments uses.  Merino wool is from sheep originally from Spain and is the softest wool.  (Note: I’m using “wool” to mean the fiber from sheep.  Cashmere, angora, etc. are also considered wool, but I’ll deal with them separately.)

Advantages:

1. Wool is warm.  The fibers are crimped and have scales, both of which help wool to trap air and act as an insulator.
2. Wool keeps you dry.  The fibers are hollow and can absorb about a third of it’s own weight in water.  Wool socks are great because they wick moisture away from the skin.
3. Wool is an elastic fiber.  When working with wool, blocking is essential and can cover “a multitude of sins”!
4. Wool can be felted (or fulled, which is probably a more correct word) with warm water and agitation, making a thick and water-resistant fabric.
5. While wool generally can’t be washed, it can be made into “superwash” wool in which the yarn is treated physically or chemically to get rid of the scales on the fibers that cause felting.  This yarn can be washed!  Many yarn companies now also carry a “superwash” wool in addition to regular wool yarn. 

Disadvantages

1. Wool prices have been going up in the last couple of years, at least partly due to natural disasters in Australia and New Zealand.
2. Wool allergy is rare, but possible.  Wool is made of protein, so the body can have an exaggerated (i.e. allergic) reaction to it.  However, it is rare.  If you are concerned that you might have a wool allergy, you should have a talk with your family doctor.
3. Bugs like wool.  Store your wool in closed containers – and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to throw a few pieces of cedar in there, too. 
4. Wool will felt when exposed to warm water and agitation.  Don’t ask how I know this!

Cotton

If wool is known as the fiber for cold climates, cotton is known as the fiber for warm climates.  Cotton is the fiber from the boll of the cotton plant and is pretty much just cellulose.  The bolls are harvested, then processed to separate the fiber from the seeds and make the yarn.

Advantages:

1. Cotton is very absorbent, making it great for dishcloths.
2. Cotton can be quite affordable.
3. Cotton is often paired with acrylic to make a yarn that allows for more elasticity.  Very helpful for garments.

Disadvantages

1. Cotton is very inelastic.  Blocking will NOT help fix problems in the knitting or other process of garment construction.
2. Cotton also can feel rather “dry” to work with.

Acrylic

Acrylic is NOT a bad word!  Please don’t be a “fiber snob” – give acrylic a chance!

Acrylic fiber is a synthetic polymer which is made by a really interesting chemical process that I won’t describe here because I realize that I am more geeky than the average knitter. 

Advantages:

1. Acrylic yarn is often cheaper than wool.  That being said, there are some high-end acrylics out there that you would be hard pressed to differentiate from wool.
2. Acrylic yarn is resistant to moths and sunlight.
3. Acrylic fiber can be added to natural fibers to make very satisfactory yarns at a more affordable price.
4. Items made with acrylic yarns are washable!  This is the big selling point of acrylic yarn.

Disadvantages

1. Cheap acrylic yarns have given the entire fiber type a bad name.  But, it is true that there are some kinds of acrylic yarn that feel almost like plastic.  Ick.
2. Acrylic yarn tends to “pill” and be very “static-y”.

Rayon and other semi-synthetic fibers

These are fibers that are made by polymerizing naturally occurring compounds like cellulose.  Rayon is made from cellulose from trees.  Bamboo fiber yarn is made using the same process with bamboo.  There are even fibers now made with seaweed!

Advantages

1. Semi-synthetics can imitate the properties of cotton, wool, or silk.
2. They are smooth fibers and do not insulate body heat, making them ideal for warm climates.

Disadvantages

1. There have been some environmental concerns with these fibers.  They are touted as being “natural” because they start with a natural product, but the processing is almost as extensive as with synthetic fibers.
2. These fibers have been going up in price because of an increase in demand after the price of cotton went up.

Nylon

Nylon is similar to acrylic because they are both long polymer chains, but they are different because of what the base chemical for the polymer is.  (As an interesting aside, I made nylon in my organic chemistry lab class in college.  However, the fibers were very thick and not at all useful.)  Nylon is often added to sock-weight wool to add strength to the yarn.  It is often used with acrylic fibers to make “baby yarn” – soft yarn that is washable.

Silk

Can I just say right now how much I LOVE silk!  Silk is from the cocoons of mulberry silkworms.  It’s a labor intensive process, which is part of the reason that silk is so expensive.

Advantages

1. Silk is very shiny (which has to do with the shape of the fiber and how it refracts light) and beautiful.
2. Silk is a very strong fiber as long as it doesn’t get wet.

Disadvantages

1. Because of the labor required to raise silkworms and harvest the fibers, silk is a rather pricey fiber.
2. Silk is not very elastic.
3. Some people have ethical concerns about killing silkworms just for the silk.  Honestly, I’m not too fussed about it.

Cashmere

This fiber is from the cashmere goat.  It is known for it’s softness and warmth.

Mohair

Mohair is from the Angora goat.  It is not a very soft fiber, but is known for it’s warmth.  It is often used with wool to make a warm yarn with a “halo” effect.

Angora

Angora fiber does not come from the Angora goat, but from Angora rabbit.  Confusing?  Yes.  Both angora and mohair yarn have a “halo” (or fuzziness).  However, angora is a very soft fiber.  It is often blended with wool to increase elasticity.

I realize that I’ve just scratched the surface when it comes to fibers, but I hope I’ve educated you a bit.  The more you know about fibers, the easier time you’ll have with your knitting or crochet project.

Technique Tuesday–Magic Loop

 

Knitting in the round (i.e. in a circle) is usually done on circular needles for large-diameter projects and double point needles for smaller diameter projects.  This works quite well the majority of the time, but there are some disadvantages:

1. If knitting something that has a decreasing diameter, you need to have a circular needle (maybe more than one) and double points in the same size, which can get a little pricey.
2. Some people have trouble with “ladders” when knitting in the round on double points.  (Note: “Ladders” can often be avoided by adjusting tension or by moving stitches around every few rows.  But, they are still an issue for some people.”

Enter the Magic Loop technique.  Magic Loop is best used for smaller diameter projects like socks, but can also be used for hats and other projects in the round.  In this techniques, the stitches are split between two halves of the cable needle.  You knit one line of stitches, then push those back on the cable and push the rest of the stitches up to the needle tips and knit those.  Confused?  Here’s a link with pictures and one with video.

So, what are the disadvantages to Magic Loop.

1. If you are used to knitting on double points, Magic Loop can be a little slower with all the cable manipulating, etc.
2. The long cable that makes the technique possible can also get in the way as you’re knitting.  I prefer the HiyaHiya needles because the cables are flexible and the joins very nice and smooth.

The Magic Loop technique is really an easy thing to learn, so I encourage you to give it a try.  If you are still confused after the links and video, just stop by The Knitting Nest and we’ll help you sort it all out!

Works In Progress–September 2, 2011

At the moment, I’m working on two knitting projects as well as sorting out class information.

This is a baby blanket made from Cascade Cherub Aran weight yarn with a pattern from 60 Quick Baby Knits.  The original pattern calls for Cascade 220 Superwash, but we don’t have the Superwash right now.  It is working up beautifully in the Cherub, which is a very soft acrylic/nylon blend that is machine washable – perfect for babies!

Knit, Swirl was apparently the hottest new thing at TNNA this year.  We got a copy of the book for the shop, but couldn’t order any more because they’re out of stock due to a second printing.  The “swirls” featured in this book are coats that are knitted in a very large circle starting at the outer edge.  In the center, about half the stitches are bound off and the bodice is knitted flat.  When the knitting and blocking are done, only one seam has to be sewn.

I made the swatch for my swirl last week and started knitting a few days ago in Cascade 220.  The outer rows of the swirl have more than 500 stitches each, so progress looks a bit slow at the moment.  The swirl is so popular that there is a Ravelry group devoted to it!  I’ll definitely post more pictures as I go!

 

What is your current project?  Anything exciting?!