Wooden needles such as rosewood, bamboo, or ebony, offer a warm, organic quality to the work. They fit the hand comfortably. Beginners as well as experts find them easy to use. Most knitters prefer them to plastic or metal. Yet how do the needles really compare?
Bamboo Knitting Needles
The supple Asian cane finds its way into more and more products in the 21st century. From floors to double-pointed needles, the bamboo plant offers an inexpensive yet durable wood. Bamboo is also a renewable resource, making it popular with conservationists.
Many knitters like bamboo needles because they are lightweight. The balance of control and comfort is optimum. And the smooth, sturdy needles can hold even a heavy wool. For sufferers from arthritis, bamboo needles provide a painless way to keep knitting long after the metal needles start causing problems.
Some suppliers of bamboo needles are: Bamboo Knitting and Crochet Centre (U.K.) or Jo-Ann Fabrics (U.S.A.). Most local knitting shops will also stock bamboo needles. Straight and circular needles are easy to find, double-pointed, slightly more difficult yet accessible.
Rosewood Knitting Needles
These rich-hued slender needles offer knitters an elegant tool for their work. While traditionally more expensive than bamboo, many knitters prefer this resilient Cocobolo wood for their craft.
Rosewood needles are often hand crafted and vary in color, quality, and patina. Thus they offer another dimension of individuality to the final knitted product. Caution: while durability is part of the appeal of the glossy rosewood, the needles also tend to weigh more than bamboo, and can tire the wrists if used extensively.
Ebony Knitting Needles
As with rosewood, ebony needles are hand crafted and distinctive in shades of color and design. Ebony needles are becoming more popular. If looking for a beautiful set of needles to last a lifetime, ebony is well worth the investment. The polished gleam, smoothness, and warm chocolate tones express personality. A few suppliers, such as Lantern Moon Handcrafted, advertise ebony, rosewood, and other hard wood needles online.
Plastic and Aluminum Knitting Needles
While most accessible and inexpensive, common plastic or metal needles lack the elegance and quality of wood. The slippery aluminum can be hard to hold. Stitches tend to slip off their shiny points and over time the coating on the metal peels.
Plastic needles come with their own set of problems. Often tiny irregularities in the surface of the plastic snag yarn. With age plastic discolors and grows brittle. However plastic does offer the most flexiblity in a needle.
The greatest advantage to the plastic or metal needles is the low cost. In every other respect wood is superior. So whether purchasing a replacement set or buying needles for the first time, turn to wood for long-lasting elegance, comfort, and inspiration. Let the needle express the knitter with the click of bamboo, the romance of rosewood, or the polish of ebony.
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