(Part 2) Best kneeting needles according to redditors

My suggestion for marketing wouldn't be to use FB but Ravelry. FYI, Ravelry ads are the only ads I ever click on.

You can buy a really cheap set of crochets or a really cheap set of double-pointed needles on Amazon, arrange them in the Strapbook, and design an ad for Ravelry.

These are crochet hooks. Crochet is a completely different craft than knitting; they are not interchangeable. Check out /r/crochet though if you're interested.

If you want a full beginners set of knitting needles, I'd get something like this (for circulars) or this (for DPNs). I bought a cheap set of DPNs like the one linked when I was a beginner, and I actually still use a lot of them. Once you get more experienced, you'll probably want to buy yourself a nice set of interchangeable needles, but that's not something you'll need as a beginner since they are very pricey.

If you're not sure if you want to buy a full set of needles yet and you just want to see if you like knitting first, I'd recommend you go to a craft store and pick up a single set of straight needles or a single circular needle. Find a project that you want to make, and it'll tell you which needle and yarn size you need. Then go to the store and buy that size.

I agree with the needle set, though I respectfully disagree with the "good" part. There's no sense dropping a lot of money on needles when you don't know what the preference is going to be (wood needles? metal?) and sometime circular needles throw beginners for a loop in a "what is this" kind of way.

What I would do is get her some knitting notions, a set of beginner needles, just some things she'll find useful. Here is a list of what I would get her:

An inexpensive set of needles (this one https://www.amazon.com/LIHAO-Bamboo-Knitting-Needles-10-0mm/dp/B00QGI9ZPG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1540516899&sr=8-5&keywords=knitting+needle+set&dpID=51R6%252BMWijVL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch or maybe this one https://www.amazon.com/Hysagtek-Pointed-Stainless-Knitting-Assorted/dp/B06Y2D7JHW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540516975&sr=8-3&keywords=knitting+needle+set+metal)

Tapestry needles (METAL NOT PLASTIC. Like these https://www.amazon.com/Fairycece-12-Pack-Darning-Needles-Tapestry/dp/B01N9SIMUE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1540517003&sr=8-6&keywords=tapestry+needle&dpID=51pL07DibjL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch or these https://www.amazon.com/Outus-Large-eye-Needles-Knitting-Sewing/dp/B01LXNZO3O/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1540517003&sr=8-5&keywords=tapestry+needle)

Stitch markers (I like these ones https://www.amazon.com/Shappy-Knitting-Crochet-Locking-Markers/dp/B01MR4W3W6/ref=sr_1_12?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1540517061&sr=1-12&keywords=stitch+markers)

Tape measurer (just like a basic retractible tape measurer, nothing fancy)

That should give her plenty of "notions" (knitting tools that aren't knitting needles). If you only get her one thing on the list, get a knitting needle set

I haven’t noticed that problem with either set, and I like to use extra-long cords when doing the magic loop technique. The Chiaogoo cords are extra flexible and the knit picks ones are stiffer, comparatively. I think this is the chiaogoo set I got from Amazon, not sure if you can actually order them off their main site - https://www.amazon.com/ChiaoGoo-Knitting-Needles-Interchangeable-Complete/dp/B01N9GZCN4/

One thing with the chiaogoo set though is that they are much pointier in the tip (called a stiletto tip I think?) which might cause frustration for a new knitter because it’s easier to accidentally split some kinds of yarn with it. They are killer for lace and delicate work with those tips but your mom might not need that kind of precision yet anyway.

If you're ok with cheap needles, try this set. $17 and it's everything a beginner needs.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FLJWFJK/

This is why I bought these.

Lykke needles are really popular right now. They're an interchangeable needle set made of polished driftwood in a great variety of sizes. The set my boyfriend got me for my birthday a few months goes for $117 on Amazon. These have the benefits of bamboo without breaking easily.

As for yarn, take a look at the things she normally knits. Socks? Go for a fingering weight with 25% nylon. Sweaters? If she uses a thicker yarn, go for bulky weight, if she uses a thinner yarn, go for DK or worsted weight yarn in large quantity. Depending on her size, 4-7 skeins I think would work. Shawls? Popularly being knit in fingering weight lately, but see if she's using larger because that's possible too. Hats? Can also be knit in a multitude of weights.

Brands that you could go for are very numerous. A really good hand dyed yarn brand is Malabrigo. It's pretty cheap but has beautiful colors and so many yarn weights. There's also a ton of independent dyers that make absolutely beautiful yarns. Some popular ones are Hedgehog Fibers and Madelinetosh, those are a bit pricier. But some of my favorites are Old Soul Fiber Co, Junkyarn, Sock Obsession Yarns, and the Lemonade Shop.


Orrrrr you could accompany her to the local yarn shop and let her go crazy and get whatever she wants. Tell her to not to look at price tags, just the yarn. It seems impersonal, but she'll love it.

I just researched all this heavily because I wanted to invest in a new set of interchangeable needles and I'm also a sock knitter. As far as I know, Chiaogoo offers the most comprehensive set of needles that come closest to closing all the gaps in sizes. Their sets break down as such:

Full interchangeable "standard" sizes:Sizes #2 - #15, available in 4" or 5" needles in either metal ("Twist") or bamboo ("Spin"). You can either buy the complete set, or they split them up into "small" and "large" sizes - so there is a #2 - 8 set and and #9-15 set. All sets come with the same case with room for ALL the sizes (the case is excellent and has the needle pockets clearly and permanently labeled, plus there are extra pockets if you buy spares in other sizes or want to add to your collection with metal or bamboo. The Chaiogoo system uses three different sized connectors/cables - Mini, Small, and Large. Small and Large come with these standard sets. Mini size are for the lace and sock sets. I *think* you can interchange the twist and spin cords, but I don't have any of their bamboo needles, so don't quote me. The Spin cords do just that - they can rotate. The Twist cables are pretty much the standard type cable you get with any circular except they legit have NO MEMORY.

Spin 4" set: http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=4Spin 5" set: http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=5

Twist 4" set: http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=6Twist 5" set: http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=7

(If you're wondering why there's both a 4 and 5-inch length needles it's because if you want to knit smaller circumference things with 16" circular needles (like hats) you'll want the shorter needles. 4" is still pretty long (my knitpicks "short" set are more like 3.5") so you still have plenty of room for grip. If you knit a lot of hats or have smaller hands, 4" is probably the way to go, if you have large hands or appreciate having a lot of room to grip the needle, get the 5" set. You can always buy individual 4" needles to add to your collection if you need them, or vice versa.

Lace Set:Needles in sizes #0000 - to #1.5 (including American half sizes!). These take the mini cables. Available in 4 inch and 5 inch needle sizes. Only metal.4" set: http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=104

5" set:http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=103

Twist SHORTIES aka Sock/Tiny things set (NEWish):http://www.chiaogoo.com/interchangeable/?&SingleProduct=105

These are my holy grail sock needles and I'm so excited they exist! With this set you get two sets of needles in each size - 2 inch AND 3 inch, in US sizes 0-3, INCLUDING half sizes!

Why shorties? Because if you're knitting a circle smaller than 24", longer needles make it hard to make a circle. Most 16" circulars tend to have short needles around 3-4 inches long, but if you're going even tinier (for socks, etc.) you need even shorter needles if you don't want to magic loop. That's where the shorties come in. With these you can knit socks in the round.

You get three mini cords, in short lengths, allowing you to make 9-14" long circulars. As far as I know, no other manufacturer makes a system in this size for small circumference knitting.

PRO TIP: There's no reason why you can't mix your 2-inch and 3-inch needles since you get both. I have always wanted a 10" sock needle, so what I did was buy an extra 5-inch cord, and I use one 2-inch needle plus one 3-inch needle and a 5-inch cord to make a PERFECT 10" sock needle. Well a pair actually. Then I can have both socks going at the same time, I just alternate. (You don't have to buy an extra cord, this is just the way I do it.) The longer needle goes in my right hand for extra grip and my hand gets much less fatigued than it does using 2" needles. I'm freaking in LOVE with this set up, if you can't tell.

The package the Twist Shorties come in is so adorable and tiny. Right now these are only offered in the #0-3 size, BUT according to their website, they will be making SHORTIES in bigger needles this fall, which means if you want to knit hand warmers, sleeves, or worsted weight socks without having to go through the hassle of magic loop or DPNs, you'll be able to. Yay!


If you only knit socks in one needle size and can't justify buying the whole Twist Shorties set, you're in luck because you can buy just one size too:
https://www.amazon.com/ChiaoGoo-TWIST-Shorties-Combo-Packs/dp/B07DPTRTP9/ (They sell these individual sets both with the cord and without. You basically get 2 needle sets for $22 with this kit, which isn't bad at all. This company has seriously thought everything.)

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All of the Chiaogoo stuff is super customizable. You can even get adaptors to change cable sizes, if you were using larger needles and wanted to use a mini cord to have something SUPER flexible, you could. You can also pick up individual interchangeable needles pretty inexpensively if you want to duplicate some sizes in a different material from your main set. Again, the fact that the case gives you extra pockets for this is wonderful.

I knew nothing about this brand until a month ago and have since bought the Twist Shorties and the full set of 5" metal needles and I'm really, really impressed. My favorite needles previously were Addi Turbos with the gold cords. I'm not in love with the pattern of the black and white Chiaogoo case the larger needle sets come in, but from a functionality standpoint, they have the best cases because of the pockets and the clarity of their labeling. The cables are better than any other needle I've tried, and I have really become a fan of how pointy they are. Regular Addis are too blunt for me now. I also have not had any issues with the cord coming undone, but I do use the tightening key and the rubber grippy thing when I'm putting them together. (I also feel like it's better for a cable to get loose and snag yarn than to use the Addi Click set where if you have a failure, the needle is just going to fall off. At least you get a warning with the screw-in kind.) I do find the Addi turbos' slickness a little nicer than the Chaiogoo set, but I'm getting over that quickly. It's also nice that literally every component down to the cases can be ordered individually if you lose something.

I swear I'm not a shill for Chaiogoo, I just put a lot of time into figuring out their product line and deciding what I wanted. There are SO many more options now for interchangeables than there were the last time I was knitting. Hope this helps.

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I really love this needle set from amazon for $30 as a beginner set. Then these mats to use for blocking also from amazon for about $20, depending on exactly which set you get, but it’s much less than the marketed blocking mats. Then some rust resistant T-pins from any basic craft store or Walmart. This should cover most of your basics!

I switched to Addi Clicks a couple of years ago and haven’t had that problem since. I used Knit Picks before that and only had a problem once or twice. (User error not design flaw. I was afraid of going to tight and stripping the connections.)

As long as they fit over your needles (so they can slip across) you are fine!

I don’t like heavy markers, so these are what I use and they also come in “jumbo”sizes for large needles. They’re so cheap that if I lose a few in the couch it’s NBD. I also like the different colors so I can keep track of where I am in the round (like if I’m making a big bag or such, just follow the rainbow...)

Thank you! Are you using circulars with magic loop, DPNs or the tiny ones I'm using?

I'm using these ones:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GPV3I2O/ref=asc_df_B01GPV3I2O58580977/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22122&creativeASIN=B01GPV3I2O&linkCode=df0&hvadid=255870769144&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4809584922302440924&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045957&hvtargid=pla-443194019247

These knitting needles so I can keep knitting lots of socks! ❤️

Or this scale which is indespensible in measuring "do I have enough yarn left?" to complete a project!

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!

Here ya go!

Knitter's Pride Zing Double... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076DND2F8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I think they make bamboo ones too

Edit: here's some on Amazon
addi Flexi Flip Bamboo Knitting Needles (Set of 3) - US 4 (3.5mm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FB4GN3D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gMsiDbHE1N3QS

That's uhh really something. I can barely imagine that was an accident.... were they trying to make you a set of curved needles?

These are mine

knitting needles

Neko Sock Curved Double Pointed... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E5VK41O?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

They're great!