Metal, Plastic or Wooden Knitting Needles?

When purchasing knitting needles it can be difficult to choose what type of needles will be best for you, especially if you're a new knitter, so I'm explaining the differences to help you decide.

When I was first learning to knit I started with using plastic needles, they're usually the most inexpensive and I've found they seem to be the type of needles most commonly stocked in haberdasheries so should be easy to find. Metal needles are usually quite cheap too, with wooden needles often being the most expensive option, however the differences in price are usually quite small.

Different types of needles

A big factor in the type of needles people prefer is how slippery the needles are, this affects how easily the stitches slide across the needles and therefore can impact knitting speed. Metal needles are the most slippery option, so are often favoured by knitters who work very quickly and don't like having to shift stitches along the needles. Wooden and plastic needles have less slip and tend to be very similar to each other, with some slight variations in slip depending on the brand.

How the needles feel to use is also important to consider, metal needles have a cooler feel and can make a clinking noise whilst you knit. Wooden and plastic needles are quieter and warmer to the touch.

When it comes to durability metal needles are the strongest option, which can be important at smaller needle sizes as some people have issues with thinner wooden needles snapping. Personally, I've never managed to snap any of my wooden needles, but they definitely have some flex to them so I can see how it could happen.

Wooden needles
Metal needles

In terms of availability, there are a wide range of needles available in all types of materials, but I have found that for circular and interchangeable needles there aren't many plastic options, with wooden and metal interchangeable needles being more commonly found.

Personally I prefer wooden needles, I predominantly use Knit Pro Symfonie Wood Interchangeable needles. I find that metal needles are too slippery for me, I can usually keep my grip quite loose with wooden needles as my stitches won't slide around too much, which help me to avoid finger cramping. Plus, when working with metal needles I've had issues when I've let go of one of the needles and it's slid straight out of my stitches. I also find the temperature of wooden needles to be more comfortable.

The best type of needles for you will always be personal preference, some people even prefer to use different types of needles when working with different types of yarn. I would recommend trying out metal, wooden and plastic needles before buying a large set of needles, so that you're certain of your preference before spending a lot of money. I knitted each of my first few projects with a different type of needles to decide which I preferred.

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