Confused about Knitting Needle Options?

There are so many different kinds of knitting needles out there, from circulars, straights and DPNs of different lengths to those made of wood, bamboo, metal, plastic and other materials. How do you know which needle type is right for you and the project you are working on?

You can’t try every single needle type that is out there, but once you’ve given a few a test you’ll begin to develop your own preferences (I love wooden straights and circulars and tend to use interchangeables a lot). In the meantime, you can check out the free (with free signup to Knitting Daily) ebook Free Guide to Knitting Needles.

This nine-page PDF covers the pros and cons of the major types of knitting needles you’ll find out there and gives some tips for choosing the right type for you. If you like speed, for instance, consider fixed circulars with metal tips. If you love cute stuff, go for candy-colored plastic and acrylics.

The guide also includes a chart with the basics on all the models they tested and a handy knitting needle conversion chart, just in case you’re looking at a pattern that calls for a 4 mm needle and you don’t know what that means (size 6 US, by the way).

[Photo by Knitting Daily.]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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