Knitting needles come in different sizes such as US 4, US 5, and US 6. The size of the knitting needle is mostly dependent on the weight of yarn that you are using.
Do not use bigger knitting needles than what you should be using because this may result in wrong-sized needles and can damage your work.
There is a big misconception that you need to use bigger knitting needles in order to get the same result. This is not true and it is better to use the correct size of a knitting needle.
Using bigger needles doesn’t necessarily yield more results, so while some might see this as a cheap alternative, it can actually cause frustration and wasted time.
If you use bigger knitting needles, you will make a bigger hole in the knitting and that might look odd in your resulted clothing.
10+ Advantages of Using Bigger Knitting Needles
The size of the knitting needles determines the size of the stitches that can be made. Knitting needles with smaller heads allow for more stitches to be made with each pass of your hand. Larger knitting needles require more passes and therefore take longer to make a single row of stitches.
Many knitters use larger needles to achieve a more refined and professional look. However, there are also other benefits of knitting with bigger needles that you might not have considered before. The following are some advantages of using bigger knitting needles:
- It is easier and faster for you to make a row
- With bigger needles, you can make bigger projects
- Bigger projects will look more professional
- Better elasticity in fabric
- Easier to work with chunky yarns like Baby Alpaca or bison hair
- Making a more even fabric,
- allowing the knitter to produce a denser fabric by knitting more stitches per inch,
- allowing for a wider range of patterns without having to make as many variations,
- providing a smoother surface for crocheting or weaving by removing the bumps from the knitting.
- Knitted fabrics are made with smaller needles than those used to knit stockings. The smaller gauge fabric is more flexible and has less seams. When you switch to bigger needles, you can choose how tightly or loosely your stitches should be knit. You can also control the number of stitches per inch that the fabric will grow in width.
- Most professional and experienced knitters know that using bigger needles can lead to better results.
10+ Disdvantages of Using Bigger Knitting Needles
These disadvantages are not exclusive to bigger needles, but they are more pronounced when you use bigger needles. Bigger needles may seem like the answer to the question of how to make your knitting larger, but there are some opposing factors that can make it more difficult.
- Larger knitting needles are harder to manage on knit 2 at a time
- Larger knitting needles can cause more friction on your hands or wrist, which can decrease the speed of your knitting.
- Bigger needle sizes can be more difficult to find in stores, leading to potential frustration before you get the right size.
- It may be harder for some people to hold onto larger knitting needles while working on an item.
- When we increase the size of the needle, we need to increase the number of stitches to ensure that we can hold all of the yarn in our hands.
- This increases the amount of time and effort it takes for us or our customers to create a project. If we use larger needles, it also makes it more difficult for us to move on with other projects because there will be a lot less room in our work area.
- If you are making a blanket or other large project, using bigger needles will create more bulk than if you were using smaller needles. You may also experience hand fatigue due to increased stitch count.
- Difficulty of handling bigger needle.
- Difficulty of transporting bigger needle.
- Less comfortable to use bigger needle with arthritis or other physical ailments.
- More likely to break or knot if not handled properly.
- More likely to damage fabric.
Why People Want to Use Smaller Knitting Needles Instead?
As knitting needles get bigger, so do the stitches. If you know how to use smaller needles, you can produce the same size stitches as if you were using bigger ones.
The first reason is that smaller needles can be less dense and therefore more pliable, which means they are easier to work with. The second reason is that smaller needles provide better tension because they don’t stretch as much. The last two reasons are that it’s easier to control the yarn with small ones and that your hands will be less tired when you use them.
If you’re looking for certain benefits of using smaller needles, then these are the best options out there:
- Greater maneuverability in tight-knit areas; less stretching; reduced fatigue; improved tension control; better visibility of your work.
- Less pressure
- Better control of the tension
- Increased accuracy
- Smaller needles create a more even and consistent stitch across the fabric.Needles with smaller size can be used by people with arthritis or other hand problems that make it hard to use larger needles.
- Smaller needles also result in less bulky and more manageable knitting projects.
- If you are a beginner, it is always better to use smaller needle sizes. It will help you to get to grips with your knitting skills.
- If you are an expert, you can use the smaller needles for different kinds of patterns. You can knit lace using small needles and likewise with cables and so on.
- Larger knitting needles are good for sweaters and other thicker fabric but smaller ones are great for lighter garments like socks or baby clothes. Smaller needles also result in finer stitches which sometimes makes them easier to see but more difficult to work with. That means that they require more attention while knitting which is good for beginners!
- Some people only use the smaller needles for knitting while some also use them for crocheting.
- The smaller size also helps keep the air flowing effectively as it helps create a natural draft.
Conclusion: What Happens If You Use Bigger Knitting Needles
The best thing to do is use thinner needles. But if you want to get more yarn, then you should use bigger knitting needles.
In the end, the main takeaway from this article is that if you want to learn and improve your knitting skills, you should use bigger needles. As for what happens if you use bigger knitting needles, it has a minimal impact on your skills.
