Reddit reviews CLOVER 3016/16-07 Takumi Bamboo Circular 16-Inch Knitting Needles, Size 7

I like the Clover Takumi Bamboo circular needles. Size 7 (4.5mm) at 16" is the perfect size for making a hat or ear warmers. The bamboo holds the stitches well so that they don't slide off like on aluminum needles.

I would definitely recommend getting circular needles, because you can do everything with them.

This would be very affordable "investment" for a beginner, but the quality isn't usually that great. But they'll get the job done.

I've never used Clover needles before (we don't get them around here), but at least for the price, I'd imagine they'd be better quality than what I mentioned above. Few needles that fall in the most common sizes (3 mm - 4.5 mm - that's what, US 3 to US 7?) would last a long way.

If your girlfriend really gets into knitting, a quality interchangeable needle set would be a very good investment - Addi, Chiao Goo, KnitPicks/KnitPro, those would be the main ones.

Since I started with crochet, and just an avid crafter in general, I'm a little bit picky with my tools. I really liked working with these bamboo needles since they were readily available at my local craft shops. I couldn't find a good set of them, so I ended up opting for a knitpicks interchangeable set since I could use whatever length I wanted, and work both straight knit and circular knit on this kit. Its a good quality, they have a little more grip than metal, and the bonus is that they are nice to look at! If you haven't ever knit before, it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick your project, and buy the needles needed for that project just to see if you like it. Its also a good idea to try a pair of metal, and a pair of bamboo to see which you prefer before buying a full kit.

Maybe some other knitters have some better suggestions! But I found trying a pair of bamboo, and one pair made of metal made it easier for me to decide which worked best for me in a full kit :) Happy knitting!