Knitting Tip: Using Interchangeable Knitting Needles

I love interchangeable knitting needles, especially when working projects in the round that use multiple needle sizes. But it’s great to have an interchangeable knitting needle set (or two!) in your collection because it’s an easy way to get most of the sizes of knitting needles that you could need, and you can use them for circular or flat knitting.

What to look for in interchangeable needles

To me, the main thing you need to look for in interchangeable knitting needle sets is a strong, smooth join between the cable and the needle tip. I’ve had needles fall apart at the join under the weight of a big project, spilling stitches everywhere.

Interchangeable needle sets are available in lots of different kinds of materials, so if you already have a preference for wooden or metal needles, for example, you can find a set that suits.

Look for a set that has a wide variety of needle sizes. Usually the range seems to be around size 4 or 5 to 15 US.

Pay attention to the length of the needle tip as well; the shorter ones can be hard to work with at first.

The material of the cables should be pliable so it can easily bend to the shape of your knitting. I love sets that also allow you to join cables together so you can make a longer cable in the middle of a project (great for those increase rounds in a top-down sweater, for example).

An interchangeable tip for the disorganized knitter

I shared this tip about interchangeable knitting needles on Instagram the other day and I don’t know if it’s common knowledge (or if many knitters are as disorganized as I am!) so I wanted to share it here, too.

What happens if you want to knit with a particular size needle and you can only find one tip of that size?

In knitting, the size needle that really matters is the one that is forming the stitches. So make sure you cast on over the tip of the correct size, and use a smaller needle tip on the other side.

Then when knitting, make sure you are always knitting onto the needle that’s the correct size. If you’re working in the round this is easy because you can always keep that needle in your right hand.

This doesn’t work as well if you’re knitting flat, because you’d have to remember to change out your needle tips at the end of each row, but I have used this for circular knitting and it keeps me from going crazy trying to find a missing needle point.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Looking for more Cable-styled knitting patterns? Check out these Cable Knit Patterns on Etsy

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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