Interested in learning to knit? Or wondering whether you should try some new needles to improve your knitting skills?
With so much choice when it comes to knitting needles, it can be hard sometimes to work out what is best for you. Whether you are new to knitting, looking for your first needles, or an experienced knitter looking to mix it up, our needle guide blogs are here to help.
In this week’s blog, I will be reviewing the different type of needles you can use, and which ones HiyaHiya Europe has to offer.
Interchangeable
The star of the HiyaHiya range undoubtedly is its interchangeable range. This selection of tips, cables and adaptors can be mixed and matched to create the ideal needle for your project.
For the knitter who needs a broad selection of needles with minimum clutter, this is the perfect solution to creating a collection catered to your needs. The excellent thing about choosing from the interchangeable range is that you can create almost every type of needle you could need for a project from this selection.
To begin your interchangeable collection, you can purchase one of the many pre-made sets that HiyaHiya Europe has to offer. Or you can pick and choose individual elements, to create your perfect personalised set.
We have a guide to our interchangeable range coming up in a future blog, but for now, you can browse our interchangeable collection here.
Straight needles
New knitters often start learning on straight needles. Commonly you will find plastic or wooden pairs being offered for free in knitting magazines. I personally learnt to knit using straight needles that my mother and grandmother had used, and I found them amazing for practising the basics.
They come in varying lengths, sizes and materials. They are perfect for knitting flat projects, such as scarves or blankets. But you can create structured pieces by knitting individual sections and sewing them together.
HiyaHiya does offer straight needles, but not in the conventional way you see most places. Our straight needles are part of the interchangeable range and are easily adaptable to your needs. Each pair of straight needles contains one 5cm and two 10cm sections per needle. These seamlessly screw together, making the length adjustable. Just add on your chosen interchangeable tip (these are sold separately) and you are good to go.
You can also opt for a pair that comes with stoppers, which screw onto the end of your needles to ensure that your work is secure. The choice of stoppers are beads or our adorable signature pandas.
You can browse our straight adaptor range here.
Fixed circulars
These needles are predominantly used for working in the round. Perfect for a wide range of projects, including socks, hats and jumpers. They can be used for magic loop or working on larger flat projects such as blankets and shawls.
Typically, these needles are the most adaptable to all projects. Personally, I always knit using circular needles (either fixed or interchangeable) as I find they alleviate the stress on my wrists that often comes from knitting on straight needles.
HiyaHiyas flexible fixed circular cables are teamed with high-quality tips to offer a strong and durable needle to enhance the knitting experience. The hollow construction of the needles provides a lovely lightweight feel and are ideal for intricate patterns.
If you are after a circular needle but are not ready to start an interchangeable collection, these are an excellent option. HiyaHiya Europe offers these in steel, sharp and bamboo, both individually, and as sets.
DPNs
Short for double-pointed needles, these needles are typically used for knitting in the round on smaller projects, such as socks, sleeves, and finishing off hats. With your work sat across three or four of the needles, using an additional one to work into the stitches. Often this technique is rivalled against magic loop, but it is ultimately what you feel more comfortable with.
HiyaHiya Europe offers these in steel, sharp and bamboo, both individually, and in sets.
Flyers
HiyaHiya flyers are somewhere between a fixed circular and DPN. Designed with sock knitters in mind, these are perfect for knitting intricate sock patterns. The flexible cable in between the tips ensures your work is secure, whilst creating a smoother knitting experience.
These unique knitting needles come in a group of three or four, with two or three used to hold the stitches of your project, while another is used to knit.
Flyers are the ideal solution for knitters who are adept in both magic loop and DPNs, as flyers allow a style of knitting that is in between these two techniques.
If you have any of our miniature interchangeable range, HiyaHiya flyers are also available in an interchangeable form. We offer the interchangeable and fixed flyers in steel, sharp and bamboo, both individually, and in sets.
The brilliant thing about knitting is how personal it is. What may not work for me, may work for you. So, whilst this guide covers the highlights of each type of needle, it is just a guide. Many of these needles work excellently for a wide range of projects, but some can technically be easier than others. You can only know for sure by trying new and different techniques to see what works for you.
What are your preferred needles? Are there any listed here you would like to try? Please let us know through our social media channels.
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