Knitting needles for beginners
Most beginner frustration comes from the wrong needle, not the wrong hands. Too small and the fabric goes stiff. Too slippery and the stitches slide off the tip. Here is what actually matters when you buy your first pair.
Start with the size your yarn asks for
Every yarn band gives a suggested needle size in millimetres. Start there. It is the manufacturer's own recommendation for that yarn, and it puts you close to the gauge a pattern expects. Where the supplier provides it, that suggested size is listed on our yarn product pages.
If you have no yarn yet, 4 mm to 5 mm is an easy place to learn. The stitches are big enough to see and small enough to stay tidy.
Needle sizes: mm and US
European and UK patterns use millimetres. US patterns use a numbered scale. The metric size is the real measurement of the needle shaft; the US number is only a label for it.
- 2.75 mm is US 2
- 3.25 mm is US 3
- 3.5 mm is US 4
- 3.75 mm is US 5
- 4 mm is US 6
- 4.5 mm is US 7
- 5 mm is US 8
- 5.5 mm is US 9
- 6 mm is US 10
- 6.5 mm is US 10.5
- 8 mm is US 11
Older UK patterns sometimes use a third scale that runs backwards, where a higher number means a thinner needle. If a pattern gives a bare number with no mm, check which scale it means before you cast on.
Which type to buy first
Single-point needles
Two straight needles with a stop at one end. Flat pieces only: scarves, blankets, sweater panels worked back and forth. The simplest thing to learn on.
Circular needles
Two tips joined by a cable. They knit in the round for hats, sleeves and yokes, and they work flat as well. The weight of the project sits in your lap instead of on your wrists, which is why many knitters move to circulars and stay there.
Double-pointed needles
Sets of four or five short needles, pointed at both ends, for small tubes: sock cuffs, mitten tops, the last rounds of a hat. Awkward for an evening, then fine.
Material changes how it feels
Metal is slick and fast. Stitches move easily, which helps at tight gauges and works against you while you are still learning to keep stitches on the needle. Wood and bamboo grip slightly, so stitches stay where you put them. If your first attempts keep sliding off, switch to wood before you blame yourself.
Neither is better. It is a preference, and most knitters end up owning both.
When a set is worth it
Buying pairs one at a time is cheaper for the first project or two. After three or four projects you will own a random collection with gaps in it. An interchangeable set gives you a range of tips and cables in one case and works out cheaper per size.
Interchangeable needle sets and knitting needle sets.
What else you actually need
- A tapestry needle for sewing in ends. Tapestry and darning needles
- Stitch markers, once you start shaping. Stitch holders and cable needles
- A tape measure, for checking gauge. Measuring and blocking tools
Everything else can wait until you miss it.
Browse all needles, hooks and tools.