There are lots of different types of knitting needles. Some of them are made with different materials, for instance, even though the majority of the knitting needles that people are going to use are made with steel or other types of metal. For the most part, the different types of knitting needles are going to be defined by the shape of the knitting needles, however. The shape of the knitting needles makes all the difference in the world when it comes to the projects that people can use them for, and some projects will require a lot of different types of knitting needles in order to see them through to completion.

Knitting Needle Material

The majority of knitting needles are made with steel or aluminum. These are going to provide the best results in many cases. However, people are also going to find that some of the knitting needles aimed at beginners are made from plastic. These plastic knitting needles are less expensive than their metallic counterparts, making them less of a risky investment for the people who are trying to see if knitting is the right task for them.

Some people like to use wooden knitting needles. These seem to be shockingly anachronistic, but these were actually the standard for a long period of time. Of course, these are the sorts of knitting needles that will never manage to provide people with the performance that they can expect from some of the other knitting needles. There is also the fact that they have the tendency to be a little but duller than many of the others and more fragile. Still, they will work well for some people.

Knitting Needle Shapes

In terms of shapes, knitting needles come in about four different shapes: straight, double-pointed, circular, and interchangeable. The straight knitting needles are the most versatile of all of them, and these are the knitting needles that people are going to be using more often than most of the others. However, people need to actively avoid using the knitting needles like this for the sake of some of the special projects that are very heavy. They are going to bunch up on the needle, which can cause a great deal of wrist strain in an activity where having very healthy and flexible wrists truly makes all the difference in the world.

If people want to be able to knit tiny circles and tubes, they are going to need to use the double-pointed knitting needles. It is just too difficult to create these shapes otherwise, and people need to make sure that they have the right needles for the right projects. People who want to be able to knit some of the most useful projects, such as hats and sweaters, are going to need to make sure that they have plenty of circular knitting needles on hand. Otherwise, they are going to be terribly limited in terms of what they are able to actually finish and create. Knitting needles are as versatile as knitting projects.