Eager to start knitting as a hobby or as a way to pass time? Then you’re in the right place. Knitting has many mental health benefits and has been proven to reduce stress. So, it is no surprise that the classic art has been gaining popularity over the past decade. In this article, we give you different knitting needles for beginners or sets with a lot of variations to choose from. Some are made of metal, wood, and plastic, perfect to suit your different needs. But before the reviews, let’s go over a few things to look for in knitting needles for beginners.
Beginner Knitting Needle Buying Guide
Material
The material your knitting needle is made from is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to decide. The most popular needles are those that are made from wood, metal, and plastic. Wooden needles are best used by beginner knitters. While metal needles are recommended for those who want to speed up their knitting. Plastic knitting needles meanwhile are better for large projects such as sweaters and adult clothes. In addition, needles made from carbon with tips made of metal are gaining popularity due to their lightweight and durable design.
Size
What are the best size knitting needles for beginners? A very common question and a good one! Knitting needles have a lot of different sizes to choose from. Aside from the material, this is one of the confusing parts of knitting. Especially when it’s your first time picking up the craft! For beginners, needles with sizes that range between 4-5.0mm should be your first size to use. They’re medium-sized so it’s not as small and not as large when you’re creating your first knitting idea like socks or hats.
Price
Knitting needles are cheap, affordable, and always available online. Knitting needle sets are abundant with all the tools you need including the needles themselves. So, you don’t have to worry about the other bells and whistles that come along with the craft. Investing in knitting as a hobby is really worth your time and all it takes is a couple of hours of learning. There are a lot of knitting needle sets that also provide instructional guides and videos to get you started right away.
Beginner Knitting Needle Sets
BetyBedy Bamboo Knitting Needles Set
A recommended knitting needle set for beginners is this 36-piece Bamboo knitting needle set from BetyBedy. It’s suitable for even seasoned knitters and first-timers! The needles are really comfortable to use even when you’re doing your crafts for the whole day. You’ll be able to make perfectly handmade weaves such as sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves, socks, shoes, and a whole bunch of other projects you have in mind. It’s a perfect gift for your friends and loved ones who are into knitting or for those who wish to start learning the craft.
The bamboo needles have a smooth round body and are single-pointed with a bead cap. The design prevents leakage and is marked on the top side of each needle with a marked size so you know the correct size to use for your knitting projects. The 36 pieces of bamboo knitting needles have 18 different sizes to choose from with 2 pieces of needles for each size. The needles are as thin as 2.00mm in length and can go all the way up to 10.00mm depending on your need. Since all the needles are made of bamboo, they’re not easy to slip and should be able to help you avoid reworking to make your knitting more pleasurable.
Coopay Plastic Knitting Needles for Beginners
These pretty knitting needles by Coopay are specifically made for beginners. They have colors that look cheerful and appealing to everyone. No pair of needles are alike in color making them very easy to tell apart when you’re knee-deep in your knitting projects. The tips of the needles are not as sharp when compared to other types of needles. This makes them knitting needles for beginners and child friendly to pick up. The knitting needles are made of premium ABS plastic which, while sturdy, is still light and easy to hold so you won’t easily get tired especially on your hands and wrist as you knit for long hours.
There are 7 pairs of needles of different sizes 4.00mm, 5.0mm, 6.0mm, 7.00mm, 8.0mm, 9.0mm, and 10mm. Each needle is 10” long and is individually wrapped in plastic so you can start right away. The pretty colors, the perfect size of the knitting needles, its lightweight construction, as well as silent operation makes it the ideal gift for almost any kind of occasions such as Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays, and more.
ChiaoGoo Twist Stainless Steel Interchangeable Set
If you’re invested in learning knitting as a hobby, then this complete interchangeable knitting needles kit from ChiaoGoo will be fantastic to get you started. The great thing about interchangeable kits is that you can get started with ANY knitting project that comes to mind with the various sizes of needles. I used to buy needles here and there and would get frustrated if I had some great new project to try and not the right size needle. The day my interchangeable needle set arrived was a very exciting day!
The ChiaoGoo interchangeable knitting needle set comes packaged in an elegant black and white case with a red ribbon. The set features the same stainless steel red lace needles and cables that ChiaoGoo is known for with needle tips that have lifeline holes that make adding a lifeline as simple as knitting across the row. This set includes 4” surgical stainless steel, lace tips with three cable lengths from 8”, 14”, and 22”. The cables make 16”, 22”, and 30” circulars that are all switchable so that you can create all your favorite projects with ease. The set also includes markers, a key, end stops, and of course, the great organizing case.
While a bit pricey, this needle set is definitely worth it. Many knitters love that the memory cables are smooth and much better than the cheap nylons; the sharp points are excellent for delicate lacework; the set includes both the small and large needle set instead of having to purchase two; and much more. Just check out the reviews and if you stick with knitting, you won’t regret the purchase!
If you are interested in investing in interchangeable needle sets, we have reviewed more interchangeable sets!
Hekisn Large-Eye Blunt Knitting Needles
The Hekisn large-eye blunt knitting needles are perfect for beginners and hobbyists as the needle of choice when weaving in ends and sewing up seams on your different knitting or crocheting projects. The needles are made of high-quality and durable stainless steel which is corrosion free with a nonporous surface. The needles should last a long time without rusting. Thanks to its extra-large eye, the stitching needles are also very easy to thread yarn through, making them extremely beginner-friendly. The needles are comfortable to handle and, due to their construction, should keep you company for longer even after daily use without breaking or rusting.
These large-eye blunt knitting needles earned a spot on our list of the best knitting needles for beginners because the price is very cheap and shouldn’t break the bank, making it a nice investment. Buying the kit includes a transparent holding bottle as well so you don’t need to worry about where to store the needles when you’re done with your project.
KnitPal Round Knitting Needles Set
This knitting needle set from KnitPal features break-resistant and stainless steel needles that are securely connected with a high-quality braided cord. This unbreakable joint holds your needles together to help you create the most beautiful patterns much faster because it never frays or snags on the yarn unlike needles made from wood. The stainless steel material glides smoothly through the yarn making knitting very easy for beginners. The knitting needles are comfortable for the hands and come with perfectly tapered tips to ensure you’ll be able to achieve the detail you want on your knitting projects.
Buying this needle set includes 5 different sizes of needles as well as free patterns to help you get started right away. There’s also a convenient knitting guide for beginners that will be sent to your email during purchase to give you a lot of ideas to choose from when starting your knitting hobby. Overall, you’ll be able to create a lot of wonderful knitting projects such as baby blankets, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, and a whole bunch of other knitting ideas with these cheap and affordable knitting needles set in no time.
Lion Brand Yarn Knitting Needles for Kids
Knitting is not exclusive to adults as even children can learn the skillful art themselves at a young age. These fun and easy-to-handle knitting needles are made for kids by Lion Brand Yarn. They are specifically designed to help children ages 6 and up to develop their knitting, crocheting, and weaving skills at a young age. The pair of needles are 7 inches in length. They come in a size of 6mm and in two fun colors of red and blue. The knitting needles are 100% made of plastic to make them safe for use by children because of their flexibility. They’re perfect for your child’s little hands so that they can start right away.
It’s a good thing to note that the product is one of the most affordable products for children who want to start knitting, making them the perfect present for your family and loved ones. This way, you, along with your kids, can start creating your own DIY hats, scarfs, socks, shawl, children and adult sweaters, baby blankets, afghans, and so much more in the comforts of your own home.
Beginner Knitting Needle Kits
mindfulknits Beginners Knitting Kit
One of the interesting tidbits about this product is how this popular knitting kit became an idea. An engineering student was looking for ways to combat stress and thus founded mindfulknits due to the belief in the health benefits of knitting. The beginner knitting kit from mindfulknits caters to not just beginners but experienced knitters as well. This is because this knitting kit includes everything you need to jumpstart your new favorite pastime or your next project. It has all the materials you need like four different color balls of cotton yarn, circular knitting needles, and a yarn needle too. The four different yarns are made of 100% cotton making them extremely soft and comfortable to the touch.
The color of the yearns meanwhile consists of a pure and simple white, a shade of teal, deep yellow, and bright tart pink. You’ll be able to do a lot of different projects such as crafting your own garments, weaving a coffee mug sleeve, knitting your own washcloths, crochet, stuffed animals, personalized accessories, and all kinds of different DIY things to choose from. Not only that, the kit is beautifully packaged in a premium reusable bag making them easy to carry anywhere so you can knit to your heart’s content whenever you travel. The high-quality bag also helps keep everything secure and safely stored as well so you can focus more on your ideas.
CraftLab Learn to Knit Kit for Beginners
This knitting needle kit by CraftLab is specifically designed for the absolute beginner. If you want your friends and loved ones to start knitting, then this is the right product for you. Whether a child or an adult, this knitting kit includes basically everything you need to start learning knitting right away such as yarn, needles, and other tools and instructions you need to complete your first scarf, gloves, or even a cute bunny. The kit contains 4 balls of yarn made from high-quality cotton, a pair of 9” 5.00mm wooden knitting needles, a complete photo-illustrated instruction booklet, and even follow-along video tutorials to make everything easy for you.
This CraftLab knitting kit is intended to teach the basics of knitting to everyone without prior experience. And thanks to the meticulous photo-illustrated instruction booklet included on the product, you’ll be walked through almost any technique such as wrap, stitch from slip knot, to weaving in ends from start to finish in a clear and step by step manner. CraftLab also offers a 100% money-back guarantee program for a worry-free purchase which is a plus.
FAQs for Beginner Knitters
How do you choose the correct yarn for knitting?
There are many different kinds of yarn to choose from when it comes to knitting. The most popular type of yarns are wool, cotton, nylon & polyester, alpaca, and cashmere. Discussing all their individual pros and cons is an entirely new article in itself, so it’s best to do your own research before getting the right yarn for your project. However, you won’t go wrong with any of them. But if you’re confused about what to use, it’s generally safe to stick to wool or cotton as that’s the most common type of yarn available.
Is it true that knitting reduces stress?
Knitting as a hobby or pastime has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. The calming effect it has on the brain on an emotional level has been studied extensively over the decades. The results always come out as positive! A survey done last 2013 by the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, has proven a strong connection between knitting and the happiness of individuals overall. Not only do you have a great pastime with taking up knitting. But, it’s also a definite stress reliever as well!
