If you’ve racked up one too many fixed circular needles or realized mid-sweater pattern that you don’t have the right needle size, you may be thinking its time for a full set of interchangeable knitting needles. But, what an investment! Going from buying one needle at a time to buying an entire set of nine or more can feel like a big leap.
What I hope to do with this comprehensive buying guide is give a roadmap to help beginner to advanced knitters navigate the big world of interchangeable needles so you can make the most informed decision possible and gain some knowledge and insights into just what your options are.
Total Interchangeable Needle Newbie?
start with this video
What To Consider
When buying interchangeable knitting needles
The whole point (teehee) of interchangeable knitting needles is to have as many needle size options available to you, in the comfort of your own home, and in a neat and tidy package, for any potential future project you may knit.
That being said, most of the finer details about those needles come down to personal preference. But with these basic overview bullet points, you can start to see which features of knitting needles may be more important for your particular style of knitting.
Tips
Needle tips may be longer or shorter, sharper or more dull. Sharp needles maybe better for lace, as well as longer tips. Shorter tips are better for small circumference projects like hats while duller tips prevent splitting delicate or roving style yarn.
Material
Needles generally come in some sort of wood, plastic or metal. Metal needles offer a slick, fast experience while wood or plastic needles are grippier, warm in the hand and prevent the stitches from slipping off.
Cords
Needles maybe attached to cords in a few ways. Generally screwed on or clicked in. The cords themselves come in a range of lengths and materials. Knitters tend to prefer more flexible cords and some even swivel!
Quick Start Buying Guide
In no particular order, lets cover the majority of the brands selling interchangeable knitting needles today
Knit Picks
$125-$40
Tip size US 4-17, (3.5mm-12mm)
Available in nickel plated, aluminum, birch or laminated resin-filled wood
3″-5″ (7.5cm-13cm) tips, long and short sets
Screw on – key tighten
Laminated wood needles come in 6 unique colorways!
What knitters love
Great value for the quality. Huge variety of needles in length, color, size and material. Their foursquare line feature ergonomic, cuboidal needles.
Things to consider
Currently only shipping to the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
An Indian craft brand with an extensive catalog of needles. Less common and hard to find for North American crafters (like many of my blog’s readers 😉
No-name aluminums
Generic brands at big box craft stores or no name colorful aluminums on Amazon. A cheap and cheerful alternative to Boye Needlemaster…if you’re into that sort of thing.
A lesser-known Japanese needle brand with 100 years of experience. Comparable high quality bamboo needles to Tulip and Clover.
There you have it!
Just about every interchangeable knitting needle set I could think of and a little bit of info about each! If you’re still reluctant to take the plunge into a full set of needles, you can always buy one tip set and and a cord from a brand you’re curious about. Give it a test drive before you make a big commitment! Or give one of the cheaper brands a go and ask for the fancy ones for your birthday 😉
Of course, we could dive endlessly into which material is right for which knitter…cord types…tip shapes…but we’ll save those for another post! I hope you found my guide helpful! Feel free to leave a comment because I know knitting needle choice is very personal and full of opinions and empirical experience, I’d love to hear about yours!
