Circular knitting needles as the name makes it clear are special needles that enable you to knit in the round. Knitting in the round or circular knitting is a specialized skill that calls for consistent practice for mastering the art. You’ll need a variety of tools and items for learning circular knitting and circular knitting needles are one of these.
Circular needles that always come in a pair and linked to one another through a cord come in perfectly handy for creating tubes. However you can use circular knitting needles also for creating plain or flat knits. There are some distinct advantages of using circular needles; you can complete a project comfortably with just one pair by placing the project on your knees.
Bamboo and wood are commonly used for making circular needles though plastic, aluminum, and steel are used oftentimes. The cord connecting the ends of the needles is usually shaped out of laminated steel and nylon. Though the majority of circular needles come in size ranging between 16” and 48” you’ll also find longer or shorter needles.
You’ll invariably need circular knitting needles for producing a variety of outerwear and undergarments including pullovers, jerseys, scarves, socks, and briefs.
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Product Reviews
Knit Picks Options Wood Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set
Regardless of whether you’re a professional or a beginner knitter, you’ll find the Knit Picks Options Knitting Needles extremely handy. Each needle in the Options Wood Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set has gradually narrowing pointed ends. At the same time the ergonomically designed needles enable you to grip them firmly without sacrificing comfortableness, thereby letting you work effortlessly with smooth glossy yarns.
Stacked to the hilt with an array of functional features, these transposable wooden needles let you make undergarments and outerwear with ornamental stitches. You can comfortably craft everything from scarves to leg warmers, pullovers, jerseys, and headliners with the Knit Picks needles. Make your own customized circular needles for your knitting projects by evaluating and matching the size of needle’s tip with the yarn’s length.
This knitting needles set comes with cable keys which enable you to firmly secure the needle’s tip to the thread. For creating your personalized knitting needle all you need to do is to fasten every needle tip to the chosen thread length by turning and twisting. Knit Picks offers knitting needles for almost every knitter, irrespective of his or her experience or proficiency level.
You have the leeway of selecting from a range of options including versatile interchangeable needles, double-pointed needles, and conventional single-point needles in sleek metal or multicolored wood.
Features
- 9 pairs of wooden needles
- Sharp tips and smooth joints
- Handy carry case
- Includes accessories like cable keys, end caps, 4 cables, and much more
Pros
- Needles glide smoothly
- Easily connectible cables
- Compatible for magic loop, circular and flat knits
Cons
- Some needles don’t remain attached to cables
- Needle tips not quite suitable for delicate knitting such as socks or scarves
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Vancens Circular Wooden Knitting Needles with Colorful Plastic Tube
If you’re looking for a quality knitting needles set for accomplishing your circular knitting projects then go for Vancens Circular Wooden Knitting Needles. This knitting needles set from Vancens includes 18 pairs of circular needles that enable to handle all circular knit pattern types. The 18 wooden needle pairs are of various sizes that enable you to handle a wide range of knitting projects.
These Vancens circular knitting needles come to your aid when you need to make scarves, socks, gloves, leg warmers, fedoras, pullovers, and more. The accessories included in the pack like locking stitches, crochet hook, plastic lacing needles, and scissors ensure that you’ve everything at hand when you start knitting. A plastic handbag has also been included for safely storing as well as carrying these accessories when you’re travelling.
Besides using these robust circular knitting needles yourself, you can also consider gifting a set to someone who loves crocheting. The metric size permanently carved into the needles along with the colorful tubes helps in easily distinguishing all the needles. Crafted out of top-quality bamboo and finely processed, every single needle has a smooth texture without any prickliness.
Features
- Made from bamboo: Durable and lightweight construction
- Needles come in 18 distinct sizes
- Includes accessories like crochet hook, plastic lacing needles, and pair of scissors
Pros
- Synonymous with efficiency, comfort, and durability
- More user-friendly than metal or plastic needles
- Perfect for DIY knitter
Cons
- Thread may stick to tubing
- Vulnerable to snapping
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Knitters Pride Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Set
The Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Set by Knitter’s Pride comprises 18 needles (in pairs) of various sizes for circular knitting. You can start your projects quickly and finish them with a flourish thanks to the many accessories accompanying the set. This Knitters Pride Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Set comes with eight end caps, four cord keys, size markers, and color-coded cords.
You can pull off almost the entire gamut of circular knit patterns, even the magic loop with these versatile interchangeable needles. Each cord included in the needle set is not only extremely user-friendly but also finely coated to check yarn snagging. These Knitters Pride transposable needles unlike the steel or aluminum needles do not leave your hands feeling uncomfortable or sore.
The Dreamz Deluxe knitting needles have a high aesthetic appeal owing to the color-coded and lightweight Symphonie tips made of toughened birch. At the same time, the needle tip has a smooth finish without being overly sharp which enables you to easily deal with your projects.
Features
- 18 interchangeable needles in pairs (9 pairs)
- Different sizes
- Needles and accessories delivered in a sturdy carrying case
Pros
- Ideal for beginners
- Includes accessories like cord keys, end caps, and size markers
- Threads easily slide through fabrics
Cons
- Knitters will feel the absence of cord connectors
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ChiaGoo Red Lace Circular 32” Stainless Steel Knitting Needle
The ChiaGoo Red Lace Circular 32” Stainless Steel Knitting Needles come in immaculately handy for imparting circular knit patterns to fabrics. You can easily slip-on the yarns back-to-back, thanks to the circular needles’ construction from premium stainless steel along with the brilliant red flexible nylon-coated, multi-strand steel cable. All the needles are not only durable but lightweight as well and precision machined for satin finish with seamlessly tapered tips.
For the convenience of knitters, the specific size of every needle has been laser engraved permanently. The permanent markings (of every item’s size) also enable you to put away the needles safely in an organized manner. Knitters, both novices and professionals prefer ChiaGoo needles, including these Red Lace circular knitting needles for completing their projects.
You’ll find these 32” stainless steel circular knitting needles from ChiaGoo incredibly versatile, simple to use, and also highly durable. Each needle 60” long from point to point goes a long way in enabling you to large bedspreads and blankets. Shaped out of nylon-coated multi-strand steel cable, the cord is hardy and resilient and also doesn’t slacken or becomes knotted.
At the same time the robust and seamless joint between the cord and the needle ensures that you enjoy knitting.
Features
- High-grade stainless steel needles
- Multi-strand flexible nylon-coated cord
- laser engraved size markings
Pros
- Multiple sizes available
- Comes with a range of accessories
- Simple to use
- Laser-engraved marking for quick identification and convenient storage
Cons
- Needle’s rough texture hinders yarn’s smooth gliding
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Knitter’s Pride Karbonz Circular 16” Knitting Needles
Chiseled out of high-tech carbon fiber with nickel-plated brass tips, the 16” Karbonz fixed circular needles from Knitter’s Pride guarantee unprecedented crocheting experience. The smooth carbon fiber brass tips ensure expedited knitting and at the same time keep your hands stress-free. The needles are lightweight yet have an excellent tensile strength which makes them remarkably flexible, and therefore comfortable to use.
The flawless cord link connecting the needle bases facilitates effortless gliding without any snagging. The seamlessly tapered Karbonz circular knitting needle tips render them supremely compatible for almost all yarn types and knitting projects.
Features
- Fixed circular needles
- Made from high-tech carbon fiber
- Nickel-plated brass tips
Pros
- Smooth linking of the needles guarantees effortless obstruction-free movement
- Compatible with almost all yarn types
- Durable and lightweight
Cons
- Can become slippery at times
- Not suitable for knitters with arthritis
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Considerations for Choosing Best Circular Knitting Needles
Knitters use circular needles more extensively than straight needles for a good number of reasons. For a start, circular knitting needles cause less stress as the project rests on your lap with the fabric sitting on the needles. Then again you can complete the entire project with just one needle (a pair actually) instead of swapping multiple needles.
To say the last but not the least you don’t misplace circular needles as easily as you lose straight or double-pointed needles.
When it comes to selecting a set of circular needles appropriate for your knitting projects you should pay close attention to certain aspects:-
Material
Circular knitting needles are by and large crafted out of bamboo, wood, stainless steel, plastic, and aluminum. The majority of brands that you’ll come across are made of bamboo. You can grip bamboo needles more firmly compared to metallic needles that tend to slip through your fingers.
After using circular needles made of bamboo for hours they can get somewhat misshaped but gradually regains its original shape. They’re also less likely to skip stitches unlike steel or aluminum needles and also cause less stress because they’re smooth and lightweight. On the flip side, bamboo needles tend to be slower than their metal counterparts.
Stainless steel needles let you work with speed, are durable, and ideal for projects that call for small-sized needles. Aluminum needles are also durable and lightweight like their stainless steel variations but their brittleness mean they take scratches and break easily.
Tip
Besides the needle’s and cord’s construction, the profile of the needle’s tip is another crucial aspect that you must take into consideration. If you mostly work with heavier yarns like cotton, twill, gabardine, denim, and chino then you should opt for round or blunted tips. Alternatively if your projects largely involve knitting socks and scarves then go for circular needles with tapering tips.
Length of Cord
Ensure to take into account the length of the cable or cord connecting the tips of the needles as you’ll require sufficient space for creating magic loops.
Needle Size
Circular needles on the whole come in sizes varying from 16” to 48”. Nevertheless you’ll find circular knitting needles smaller than 16” and longer than 48”. Most o the popular brands provide sets that contains needles of different sizes.
Accessories
Choosing circular needle set that comes with the essential accessories not only helps you to handle your projects more effectively but also help save money. Look for a needle set that includes row counter, measuring tape, end caps, size markers, and the like.
Conclusion
In this review on “best circular knitting needles” we explored products across four brands; Knitters Pride, Knit Picks, ChiaGoo, and Vancens. We have enumerated the pros and cons of using both bamboo knitting needles and metal knitting needles. While the knitting needles of Knitters Pride and Vancens stand out, the ChiaGoo and Knit Picks needles make a good buy as well.
