5 Reasons to Invest in Interchangeable Needles
A good set of interchangeable knitting needles is an investment. If you’re a knitter on a budget, you’d be right to pause before hitting “Add to Cart”. But for most avid knitters, interchangeable needles are a smart investment. Here are 5 reasons why.
Above: Parts from my Cocobolo set and Sunstruck Short set, both from Knit Picks.
1. Convenience
How often have you put a project on hold while you made a quick run to the yarn store to buy the needles you were missing? Have you stood at the checkout counter with your new yarn and wondered if you have the correct needles at home? With a set of interchangeable needles, you can be confident that you’re properly equipped for just about any project.
Most interchangeable needle makers also offer their components separately. If your cockatoo chews on one of your needle tips, you can replace just that size. If you are a knitter with many WIPs, you can get additional cords to hold those projects at the ready.
2. Cost
Fixed circular needles (the kind with tips permanently attached) generally cost between $8 and $20 each, depending on brand, material, and size. Most interchangeable sets can create at least 30 different combinations of length and needle size. On average, a set of interchangeable needles will cost less than half of what you would pay to buy each circular needle separately.
Interchangeable needle sets are available at a wide range of price points. You could easily spend $300 for a deluxe set with all the bells and whistles, and you can also find a quality set for under $100. There are options to fit almost any budget.
3. Storage
A big collection of circular needles can quickly turn into a tangle. Sure, there are a variety of cases and storage solutions on the market to address this issue, but they all have their drawbacks. Interchangeable needle sets usually come packaged in a custom-fitted case. They are compact, organized and often attractive.
4. Versatility
Interchangeable sets usually include some handy accessories that make your needles even more useful. One is a cord connector. This little piece of metal lets you connect two cords end to end. The set I own came with 3 cord connectors. I could assemble a knitting needle 13 feet long using just the components that came with my set. Why would you ever need a super long knitting needle? Perhaps you want to add a mitered border to a blanket. You could pick up stitches all the way around the perimeter of the blanket and work that border in the round.
Another handy accessory is cord caps. These are little knobs that replace the needle tips at the end of the cord, turning your cord into a stitch holder. No more slipping stitches to waste yarn or transferring them from a holder back to the needle. Just unscrew the cord cap, reinstall the needle tip, and you’re good to go.
5. Portability
If you travel with your knitting, interchangeable needles are indispensable. Tuck that set into the corner of your suitcase and rest assured you’ll be prepared for any knitting opportunity. See a stall at the Farmer’s Market selling handspun wool? You can buy a skein and cast on a hat. Did a sweater kit call your name at Yarn Fest? You’re ready to cast on that very evening in the hotel lounge.
All the major needle manufacturers offer sets of interchangeable needles. If you already have a favorite brand of needle, check out their offerings. If you’re unsure, consider buying a single cord and pair of tips to try. Take them for a test knit and be sure you’re happy with the needle tips, the cord flexibility, and the cord-to-needle joining mechanism. Then make that investment in a full set. Future you will be glad you did.
Sandi Rosner
Technical Content Editor, Yarn
Here’s another advantage to interchangeables that I learned at a workshop by Cat Bordhi, an amazing knitting innovator who has since sadly passed away: when knitting in the round, you can put a smaller tip on the left, so that your stitches will slide along faster & easier. Since you form your stitches on the right, having a smaller needle on the left doesn’t affect your gauge, & it really speeds things up, particularly for a tight knitter like me. Genius! When knitting flat you would have to switch the tips for every row, but if you have lots of stitches it could be worth it.
The one caveat on interchangeable needles for me is what I mostly knit: socks. I have not seen a set that includes the small needle sizes used for socks, and for hand comfort I do not use needles larger than size 8. Such sets seem to usually include plenty of the Iarger sizes. I might check into sets again and see what they have, but to date I have not seen a set that would be useful to me.
One more reason I love my interchangeable needles for circular knitting is that I can use a smaller size needle on the left. This allows me to enter and slide the completed stitch off more quickly and easily. Try it!