Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Circular Knitting Needles

By Gina Williams

Circular knitting needles consist of shorter needles connected by means of a nylon cord. If with classic needles you have to stop at the end of every row and turn the work around, circular knitting needles have the advantage of letting one work round and round until you finish the item or need to change the yarn. There are two main benefits that make circular knitting needles stand out, and one is the above mentioned functional advantage of being able to avoid alternative knitting. A secondary advantage is the ability to design garments seam-free if that is what you wish for.

Unlike classical needles that carry the work weight on their entire surface, circular knitting needles transfer it on the nylon cord. Partly, the stitches will stay on the needles as such thus increasing the comfort level of your hands, by the reduction of the stress otherwise put on the wrists. Circular knitting needles are therefore more advantageous for people who suffer from various joint problems like arthritis or rheumatism for instance.

There are some aspects you should check before buying circular knitting needles. First of all, the length of the cord has to match the knitting project; you can find items with a cord of up to forty inches long that is excellent for more ample garment knitting. If you are only making a small child's pullover, then, the circular knitting needles don't have to be longer than twelve inches. Why is size so important? One thing is for sure, too short a cord makes work impossible and too long makes it cumbersome. And last but not least, when it comes to the cord length aspect, you should also know that the size of the needles is shorter for smaller cords too.

Last but not least, circular work needles allow one to knit while traveling without the risk of losing stitches. Moreover, it will be much easier to transport knitting work like this without the inconvenient needle protrusion. Therefore, include circular knitting needles on the list of knitting supplies, they are good around the house and who knows when you are going to need them.

Circular knitting needles are an essential part of any knitting kit and once you use them you will be surprised at their ease of use. So do not delay go by some today!

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