Knitting is one of the most relaxing activities. It’s not just a hobby to spend your free time; it’s a way to express your creativity. Knitting is proven to stimulate brain functions, reduce stress and anxiety, improve fine motor skills, bring your mind into a meditative state, boost your mood and enhance your problem-solving skills. With so many benefits, it’s time to buy a full knitting needle set and dive into the knitting world.
Needles & Hooks
Just like you can’t play football without a ball, you can’t knit without some needles and hooks. They’re the base of your every project. Them and the yarn, of course. They come in many shapes and sizes and can be made of different materials. Some are longer and heavier and some are shorter and lighter.
In general, there are two main types of hooks: inline and tapered. They may look the same to you if you’re a beginner, but they have some subtle differences that can change the way you knit and crochet. The inline type of hooks has a defined lip and a deeper mouth. If you want to enter tighter spaces and make uniform stitches, inline is the one you should use.
The tapered type of hook is good if you’re making gloves or scarves. This one is good for making blankets because it has a shallow mouth and a rounded head. Tapered needles and hooks come in high-quality knitting needle sets where they’re joined by three more types: ergonomic, Tunisian and knook.
The Tunisian hook is longer and features a stopper at the end. People often use it for special projects. The main recognisable feature of an ergonomic hook is the large handle. It’s made this way to make holding the needle for a longer time comfortable. It won’t tire your hands as much and cause wrist pain. Last but not least, the knook hook is used for projects similar to knitting, but it’s not beginner-friendly.
Needles can be made of different materials such as plastic, metal, wood and bamboo. Metal ones are durable and slippery, which helps with knitting quickly. Plastic ones are lightweight and budget-friendly. Bamboo needles are eco-friendly but can snap easily if you don’t take care of them. These needles can be straight, which are the most common, circular that are connected by a flexible cable and double-pointed that come in sets of four or five.
Yarn
Yarn is the second thing you need for your crafty projects. It comes in so many different colours, textures, materials, weights and levels of durability. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it might get overwhelming to choose. Yarns also come in different price ranges. Some of the most common yarn materials are wool, cotton, silk, acrylic and blends.
Cotton blends are very common, they’re also very durable and can withstand a lot of repeated washing and usage. Wool and wool blends will give the creations a very soft and cosy feeling to the skin. They’re very pleasant to the touch and are perfect if you’re knitting a baby blanket of baby clothing.
Every time you make a piece of clothing, you should choose a softer type of yarn. If you’re making other pieces like cloths or decorative elements, you can go with a sturdier type of yarn. If you’re a beginner, don’t buy fluffy and slippery yarns. They’ll make the learning process harder and you might give up. Instead, go for smooth and stretchy materials in lighter colours.
Blocking Tools
Blocking is the final part of the knitting process. It’s basically a technique that will relax the yarn’s fibres to shape it into the drape and shape that you want. The blocking tools you’ll need to do this are blocking board, knit blockers, t-pins, wires and wool wash. Yes, you can block everything you make, but keep in mind that not everything you make needs to be blocked.
You can do blocking in three different ways. Stem blocking is the first one. You can do it with a garment steamer or an iron. Spray blocking is the second one where you attach the knitted piece to a board, spray it with water and let it air dry. The last type of blocking is wet blocking. In this case you soak the craft in water, drain the excess water and pin the piece on the board.
These boards are usually made of bamboo, walnut, pine or oak and lined with felt or foam. They can vary in size but the holes are almost always 1 cm apart. The pins are around 10 cm long and made of wood or stainless steel. This way they won’t rust and damage your creation. It’s important to invest in good knitting needle sets and yard and blocking tools so you can craft the best pieces.
Stitch Markers
This piece of equipment is really practical and handy. When you want to put a project on hold and not work on it for a time, it’s your go-to tool. You simply add the markers to the stitches and they’ll stay in place and keep the stitches together. People also them to mark the beginning of patterns because some projects will require you to knit different patterns. Stitch markers come in many sizes and can be made of steel or plastic.
Scissors
These types of scissors are also known as yarn snippers. They’re specifically designed for this purpose and are not the same as the everyday scissors we have at home. Although you won’t use them much, you will need a suitable tool to trim the yarn tails at the end of the project. Because of how precise they are, you’ll be able to make clean cuts on every yarn no matter the material it’s made of. If you take proper care of these scissors, they will last for quite a while. Remember to avoid using them on other materials and be careful not to drop them.
