Knitting Needle Sizes And Types - The Difference It Makes
When you start a new knitting project, one of the first things you need to take into consideration is that you have the right kind and size of knitting needles. Most patterns tell you what size of needle will recreate the project as they intended, but sometimes the sizing is in another country's format, like given in mm instead. If the pattern doesn't give the sizing for the needles you have (British or U.S.) you will need a needle conversion chart. You can find these on the Internet and in yarn stores.
What's So Important About The Size?
Your stitches will be larger if you use larger needles, and smaller if you use smaller needles. Depending on the project you are doing, this may or may not matter. If you are making a scarf, using size 8 needles instead of size 6 won't make much difference. The scarf will have a bit more of an open weave, but the sizing of a scarf is not critical. If you are making a sweater, or booties for your baby, the sizing is critical. Be sure to knit up a swatch to test the gauge - it is worth the time it takes to be sure the item will fit! If your gauge doesn't match the size the pattern calls for, try needles a size larger or smaller.
The Size Of Knitting Needles
There are three standards for knitting needle sizes. There are the British and American systems, which are opposites of each other. With the American sizing, the smaller the number, the smaller the needle. The British system uses high numbers for smaller sizes, and as the needle diameter goes up, the number goes down. The third method of labeling knitting needle sizes is metric sizing, where the needles are labeled by how big around the needles are - given in mm. The place where the American and British systems overlap is at 4.5 mm - that is a size 7 in both systems. Be sure - if you have to change needles mid-project for any reason - to compare the actual diameters of the needles, don't just look at the printed sizes.
Types And Sizes Of Knitting Needles
The basic, classic, knitting needles are the ones that are straight, with a point at one end (not as sharp as a sewing needle, however) and a cap at the other end to keep the stitches from falling off the back end. These are the single-pointed needles. They come in various lengths and various sizes around.
There are also double-pointed needles, which have a point at each end. They are used for knitting in the round, like for socks or bags, etc. They also come in many lengths and sizes.
Circular needles look very different. They are made from two needles that have a flexible plastic cord running between them. For circular needles, there are many sizes for these knitting needles available. The length is the length of them including the connecting plastic, from the tip of one needle to the tip of the other. This is often 29 inches, but some are as short as 16 inches, or as long as 32 inches. These are used for knitting in the round, but can easily be used for straight knitting.
