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The Best Knitting Needles for Beginners

Hi friends! I’m excited to share with you today about a new set of knitting needles I got to test out! First of all, let me give you a little background on my knitting experience. I would classify myself as an intermediate knitter. Meaning, I am comfortable knitting simple patterns with some more complicated elements, but I am not a speed knitter or able to quickly do complex lace and cable patterns. I have tried several types of knitting needles over the years, from many different brands. When purchasing new needles, this is what I look for:

  • Durability/craftsmanship
  • Comfort
  • Must have interchangeable cords
  • Must have flexible cords
  • Need to be pretty (I know this sounds silly, but if I’m investing in a set of needles I want to enjoy looking at them).

When my friends at Knitters Pride reached out to me about trying their new Self Love gift set, it was really a no brainer. I typically use their Mindful Collection needles and honestly haven’t used any others since the first time I picked them up. The craftsmanship of this brand is top notch, and I’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences with them so far. So, I waited patiently for my package to arrive. When it did, I unboxed it live on my Instagram page, you can tell how excited I was to use them!

You can watch my unboxing below. This set has everything you need to get going with knitting. It includes:

  • 8 sets of needle tips
  • 4 flexible stainless steel cords in varying lengths
  • 4 end caps
  • 4 ellen keys
  • 1 cord connector
  • 1 crocheted bookmark
  • 1 knitting journal

This set would make a great gift for any yarn lover – or as a special treat for yourself!

I wanted to pick a perfect project for these needles. I decided to start a simple stockinette shawl, with some eyelets. I wanted to do something that wouldn’t hide differences in gauge and incorporated knit stitches, purls, and yarn overs so I really could get a feel for these needles.

I won’t lie, after using exclusively metal needles for the past year or so, I had a bit of a rocky start getting going with bamboo. Wooden needles are naturally a bit stickier than metal ones, so it took me a little bit to get going. Once I got into my groove, it was smooth sailing! I sped through the first section of my shawl, and didn’t feel like I was going any slower than normal. The yarn wasn’t sliding all over the place, which is super helpful when you’re working on lace or eyelets that you need to focus on. The stickiness of wooden needles also makes learning to knit a breeze.

I never had an issue with the cords. I’m sure we’ve all had those moments with some interchangeable needles where the cord comes loose from the needle. It’s so annoying, right? I’m happy to report that the tightening key that is included with this set does the job it’s meant to perfectly!

I really found these needles to be a joy to knit with. Not to mention, they’re absolutely gorgeous! I mean, I never knew how much I needed a pastel rainbow set of needles in my life. Just looking at them makes me smile. Also, the included knitting journal is so nice! It includes pages to record important details about your current WIP, graph paper, and handy cheat sheets of knitting abbreviations (I’ve already consulted that page more than once).

Overall, this set is a wonderful investment for anyone wanting to upgrade to an interchangeable system. It has all the pieces you need in one convenient package to get going on a variety of projects. If you’re a beginner knitter especially, this wooden needle set may be just what you need.