Most yarn labels will include a recommended needle size. Going up or down a millimetre won’t be a big deal, but any more and your knitting might be too tight or too loose. SIZE MATTERS: What needle size do you need? It depends on the yarn you use! When you buy a ball of yarn, the yarn label will usually include a “recommended needle size” listed in millimetres.įollow the yarn label when you’re first starting out. If you have the choice, go for bamboo or wood. Wood and bamboo have a natural surface drag that “grips” the yarn and make it less slippery than steel or aluminium needles. NEEDLES: I recommend wood or bamboo needles for beginners. Mistakes are part of the journey, and they’ll hurt less if you’re using inexpensive yarn as opposed to pricey artisan yarn. As a beginner, you’ll make mistakes – and that’s totally normal! TIP: If you’re buying yarn and needles, choose cheap acrylic yarn so that mistakes won’t feel like such a big deal. Super bulky acrylic yarn by Lion Brand Hometown USA 10mm bamboo needles Not sure what “yarn weight” is? Check out this brief guide to yarn weights. You don’t need to use the same yarn as me, but try to get yarn that’s at least a medium weight (aka. In these tutorials I’m using Lion Brand’s Hometown (in color Fort Lauderdale Coral) and 9mm needles. YARN: I always recommend a chunky yarn and correspondingly thick needles for beginners because they’re much easier to grip. That’s it! But where to buy them? And what kind of needles and yarn? Thick or thin? Wood or plastic? The options are endless!