| Below are some pictures of knitting needles, yarns, and other items used in knitting. There are all types of needles: metal, plastic, wooden, bamboo, acrylic, and even glass. The yarn slides a bit easier on the metal needles, which is great for experienced knitters; beginning knitters may find them a little difficult to work with because of the ease with which the yarn moves. Wooden needles seem to "hold" the yarn a bit, giving you more control over the yarn. I have also found that some kinds of yarn "stick" to the acrylic needles, too (like Lion Brand Homespun). Most of my needles are the metal, but I also have some bamboo, acrylic, and glass knitting needles. If you are just starting out, I would suggest you get a couple different types, and figure out what works best for you. You can find needles and supplies at places such as Wal-Mart, but the selection, at least in my area, is a bit limited. I prefer to go to craft stores such as Jo Ann Fabrics or Michaels. Michaels has the largest selection of yarns, but Jo Ann's seems to have a better selection of needles and other supplies. If there is a Pat Catan craft store in your area, go there. They have the best prices, a lot of yarns you can buy for only a $1... instead of $3-4 at other stores. They also carry good quality needles, much cheaper than Jo Ann's or Michaels. You may also have a local yarn store near you (LYS) which can be a great resource. You will probably have to shop around to find exactly what you want, depending on what stores in your area carry, or you can order from the web. eBay is a great place to get yarn and needles. Visit the link below for where to purchase yarn and needles. There are so many types of yarn, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what to use. There are synthetic yarns, natural fiber yarns, silk yarns, suede yarns, boucle, denim, and the list goes on. Chunky, fingering weight, worsted weight, sport weight.... it can all be very confusing. I have tried to include as much information about all types as I can, but the best way to learn about them is to use them. If you are just starting out, you will want to get a worsted weight, cheapy yarn such as Red Heart. That is a great basic yarn to learn on and it is only a few dollars for a nice size skein. Some yarns, depending on what they are made of, can be as much as $30 or more per skein. Depending on what you are planning on making, and what type of stitch you are using, you can easily spend $100 or more if buying the smaller balls of yarn. A lot of places on the web have discounts on the better yarns, and you can get some really good deals. |
|
   |