Whether you’re a beginner or advanced knitter, you probably found pretty quickly that it’s necessary to invest in expanding your collection of needles. If you’re knitting a long scarf or knitting a pair of children’s hat, there are countless needles to do the job. If you’ve ever knitted a hat or scarf, you are most likely familiar with circular knitting needles. While circular knitting needles are a valuable addition to your needle collection, an even better addition would be a set of interchangeable knitting needles. Let’s take a look at the Best Interchangeable Knitting Needles.
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Top 5 Best Interchangeable Knitting Needles
1. Knit Picks: Wood Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set (Mosaic)
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The Knit Picks Wood Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set is a lovely addition to your knitting needle collection. Its smooth, laminated birch needles are colorfully designed with a unique mosaic design, bringing playfulness to your knitting sessions while also making the needles very easy to find. The needles have just enough grip to accommodate a variety of projects. These Knit Picks needles are extremely lightweight, which is a great feature for those looking to knit for long periods of time. Included end caps make it easy to pause between projects, and the variety of cable sizes is a huge plus when knitting projects of different sizes.
FEATURES
- US sizes 4-11 (3.5 mm – 8mm)
- Wooden tip needles
- 1.58 oz
- Memory-free cables
- Colorful mosaic design
INCLUDED
- 9 pairs of long 4.75″ interchangeable wood needle tips
- 4 black cables: two 24″ cables; one 32″ cable; and one 40″ cable
- 8 black end caps
- 2 metal tightening keys
- Vinyl carrying case (9″ x 5.5″) with a snap-shut closure
PROS
- Extremely lightweight
- Nice variety in cable sizes
CONS
- Some knitters find the connection to be unreliable
2. CLOVER Takumi Combo Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needles
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Clover’s Takumi Combo Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needles are a great addition to any knitter’s collection of needles. The bamboo wood makes these extremely lightweight and boasts a very smooth surface. The bamboo won’t splinter, making it very easy to use with delicate yarn. Dive into many different kinds of projects with its variety of sizes, including 12 tips and 5 cord lengths!
FEATURES
- US sizes 3-11, 13, and 15 (3.25mm-10mm)
- Bamboo needles
- 0.95 oz
- Simple and stylish Japanese design
INCLUDED
- 12 tip sizes: Size 3 (3.25mm) – 15 (10mm)
- 5 cord lengths: 16 inch (41cm), 24 inch (61cm), 29 inch (74cm), 36 inch (91cm) & 48 inch (120cm)
- Leather-like zippered carrying case (9″ x 5.5″) with a snap-shut closure
PROS
- Light-colored bamboo makes it easy to see knitting projects with dark yarn
- Smooth wood is comfortable to hold and doesn’t splinter
CONS
- Some knitters have found the connection between the tubing and metal to be inconsistent
3. Knitters Pride Dreamz Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Set
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The Knitters Pride Dreamz Interchangeable Needles is a colorful and easy-to-use addition to your knitting collection. This needle set color-codes each size, making it very easy to find just the one you need. They are made with lightweight birch and a smooth finish, making them very comfortable in the hand. The tips are not too pointy, ensuring a low risk of damaging the yarn. This set also comes equipped with size markers, end caps, cord keys, and a convenient carrying case.
FEATURES
- US sizes 4-11 (3.5mm – 8mm)
- Birch-tip needles
- 1.92 oz
- Colorful aesthetic
INCLUDED
- 9 tips: size 4-11 (3.5mm – 8mm)
- 4 cord lengths: (24″ x 1, 32″ x 2, 40″ x 1)
- Size markers
- End caps
- Cord keys
- Carrying case (9″ x 5.5″) with a snap-shut closure
PROS
- Color-coded tips make these very easy to find and to distinguish sizes
- Tips aren’t too pointy, preventing yarn-damage
CONS
- Some knitters have had issues with tightening the needles
4. ChiaoGoo TWIST 4″ Tip Interchangeable Complete Set
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The ChiaoGoo TWIST 4″ Tip Interchangeable Complete Set is maybe one of the best interchangeable knitting needle sets available, making it quite a popular choice for knitters. The tips are crafted with surgical-grade stainless steel, making them extremely durable as opposed to wooden ones, which could easily break. The cables are multi-strand steel coated in nylon, making them conveniently memory-free. The ChiaoGoo TWIST set comes in a stylish case with a lovely black and white floral pattern and accent red ribbon. The case includes 29 inner pockets as well as one outside zippered pocket.
FEATURES
- Surgical-grade stainless steel tips
- Memory-free cables
INCLUDED
- 4″ (10 cm) surgical-grade, stainless steel, lace tips
- 3 cable lengths: 8″ (20 cm), 14″ (35 cm), and 22″ (55 cm) cables to make 16″ (40 cm), 22″ (56 cm), and 30″ (76 cm) circulars
- Stitch markers
- End stoppers
- T-shaped tightening keys
- Coded cable connectors
- Needle gauge
- Zipper-enclosed fabric carrying case (6″ x 8″) with 29 inner pockets for tips and one outside zipper pocket
PROS
- Surgical-grade stainless steel tips make these very durable
CONS
- Some knitters have found the craftsmanship to be inconsistent
5. addi Click Basic Gold Edition – Interchangeable Needle Set
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The Addi Click Basic Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needle System with Gold Cords is perhaps the best, top-of-the-line choice when it comes to interchangeable knitting needles. This is a deluxe knitting needle set backed by a well-respected company that produces quality knitting needles. The set allows over 500 possible variations in knitting needle size and length! Create a longer cord by using the coupling to join two cords together. You can also use two different sizes of needle tips to give extra textural designs to your knitting.
FEATURES
- US sizes (3.5mm – 10mm)
- Metal
INCLUDED
- 10 pairs of needle tips – (3.5 / 4 / 4.5 / 5 / 5.5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 mm)
- 1 Addi gold pin
- 3 different lengths of supple golden cord: (24”, 32”, 40”)
- One connector piece which you can use either to join the ends of your working cable together so that it becomes a stitch holder or to join two cords together for longer lengths
- Extremely sharp addi 24 Karat Gold Plated Scissors
- addiClick fastening is easier to open and close with the pads (diameter 4 cm / 2”)
PROS
- Excellent quality
- Very smooth joint for snag-prevention
CONS
- Higher priced
Buyer’s Guide
What are interchangeable knitting needles?
Interchangeable knitting needles are used for projects when you would normally use a circular needle or magic loop. But – in order to talk about interchangeable knitting needles, we first need to talk about circular needles and magic loops.
Circular needles are essentially two knitting needles attached with a cable, allowing you to create things like hats, socks, sweaters, mittens, and other projects when you need to create a circumference. “Magic loop” is a technique that can be used with circular needles to achieve projects with a small circumference, such as mittens and hats.
So interchangeable knitting needles are pretty much the next step for serious knitters. Interchangeable needles function like circular needles in that they have two tips connected with a cable. The difference is that the tips are – interchangeable. They can be removed and exchanged for another sized tip. The magic loop technique can also be used with interchangeable knitting needles.
Are interchangeable knitting needles worth it?
Before the advent of interchangeable knitting needles, you’d be much more limited by sizing with circular needles. With circular needles, you are limited to the size of the cable and needles and if you want to change sizes, you have to choose an entirely different needle. With interchangeable needles, you have much more flexibility because nothing is fixed – the cables and the needle tips come in a variety of combinations.
A bonus to interchangeable needles is that you can connect two different cables to create an even larger project than you would with a circular needle.
Another benefit to interchangeable needles is that, if you have multiple projects simultaneously in progress that are using the same needle tips, you can easily switch the tips between projects without having to switch the entire needle, or even purchase multiple needles of the same size. In the same way, if your project requires the use of different needles on the same project, then you can easily switch tips without missing a beat.
Yet another benefit of interchangeable needles (and also circular) is that, as your project grows, the weight of the project is in the cable, resting in your lap, rather than in your hands. This may not seem important at first, but after many hours of knitting, it will be a much-welcomed reprise.
In short – interchangeable knitting needles are absolutely worth it. They will save you a lot of time, and arguably, a lot of money: you won’t have to switch entire needles mid-project, or invest in a collection of duplicate-sized circular needles – you can just simply change the tips between projects and keep knitting!
What are the best knitting needles to use?
As you dive deeper into shopping for knitting needles, you’ll see that there is a wide variety of materials used for the needles themselves. Many are made of stainless steel, others are made of bamboo, and others are made with other kinds of wood, such as birch. Some are pointy; some are blunt. Some are smoother than others. There are also a variety of colors available, in addition to different budgets. So – which knitters’ needles are best to use?
Wood vs Metal
This is a very personal question and very much depends on the knitter and the project. Some knitters have preferences based on how comfortable the needles are to hold: wooden or bamboo needles tend to be much lighter than the metal needles.
In addition to preference, sometimes choosing the right needle is about considering the kind of yarn you are using. Needles made from wood or bamboo are perfect for projects using lighter-weight yarn. However, these light-weight needles could break or splinter easily under the weight of heavy yarn. In these cases, metal needles may be more suitable to withstand the weight of very heavy yarn. As your project grows, the weight of the yarn can break light-weight needles.
Smoothness
Another point to consider is the smoothness of the needle. Many knitters prefer metal needles because it is smoother and is almost guaranteed not to catch on the yarn and damage the project. Some wooden needles are so smooth that you can barely tell its wood, making it an easy choice for some knitters.
Pointy vs Blunt tips
Just as knitting needles come in a variety of sizes and functions, they also vary greatly in just how pointy the tips are. There is no standardization when it comes to how pointy or blunt a needle is – it just varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Knitters get to know which they prefer and which manufacturers shape the tips to their liking.
The benefit of pointy tips is that it’s easier to do small, detailed work with more delicate yarn – especially well-suited for knitting lace patterns. While such a needle is perfect for this kind of fine detail, it can be a nuisance when working with bigger yarn because it could easily catch and snag the yarn. This is where a blunt knitting needle tip is best.
Blunt tips are great for larger yarn and bigger stitches because it is simply easier to handle and less likely to catch and snag the yarn.
One word of caution: pointy tips can be extremely painful on your fingertips, especially if you have a habit of pushing the needle with your fingertip. For many, this could be a deal-breaker if they aren’t willing to adapt their technique.
Color
Yet another factor in choosing the best knitting needles is the color. If you plan to knit many projects using darker-color yarn, then you’ll want to choose needles that are lighter in color, making it easier for you to see. Conversely, you’ll want to spring for darker-color needles if you’ll be using a lot of lighter-color yarn.
Budget
You’ll find that knitting needles come in a variety of price ranges and can be sold individually or in knitting needles sets. When purchasing needles, it’s good to think of them as an investment for something you will likely use a lot. If you don’t intend to use them very often, it may not be wise to spring for the most deluxe set right away. However, if you begin to buy needles one at a time – such as circular needles – this can add up quickly. If you see yourself having a future in knitting, then investing in a nice interchangeable set will give you a satisfying array of options for all kinds of projects.
The takeaway
When choosing the best knitting needles, it’s best to choose the ones that suit your project best. They should feel comfortable in your hand based on weight and smoothness while also being easy to see visually. Ultimately, the best needles will be within the constraints of your budget and future goals with knitting.
Does it matter what size knitting needles you use?
While there are an extensive amount of knitting needle sizes available – does it really matter which needle sizes you choose?
The knitting needle size that you choose is very important because the size will directly determine the final size of your project. If you wish to make something very small and delicate, such as tiny gloves for a child, you’ll want to choose from much smaller needle sizes than you would if you were making a luxurious, over-sized scarf.
Needle sizes will also impact the size of the stitches that you knit. For some projects, you want a very tight, compact stitch, while with others a loose stitch is perfectly suitable.
Needle size is also important for circular knitting needles. The needle sizes of circular needles completely determine the circumference of the finished product. In a very similar way, interchangeable knitting needles can also effect the size of a final project. However, there is more flexibility here because an interchangeable set will usually come with different-sized cables, allowing you to adjust the size of your circumference in relation to the tips that you choose.
What is the best interchangeable knitting needle set?
The Addi Click Basic Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needle System with Gold Cords is one of the best interchangeable knitting needle sets available. The Addi company is based in Germany and has been producing needles of extremely high quality since 1891.
What sets the Addi Click Interchangeable Needles apart from other competitor needles is its signature “click” system. Instead of screwing an interchangeable needle tip in, the tip simply clicks into the cable with no further tightening necessary.
Many knitters rave about the quality craftsmanship and smooth connection of these needles. Considered the “Rolls Royce” of interchangeable needles, the Addi Click needles are one of the more expensive options. However, the quality and ease are unrivaled, making this the best interchangeable needle set for your collection.
The Addi Click Basic Interchangeable Circular Knitting Needle System with Gold Cords comes with a variety of needles and cables, including 10 different sized tips and 3 different lengths of cable. The Addi Click also comes with a connector piece, a stitch gauge, a gold pin, and a stylish wallet-style carrying case.
Simply the best: Interchangeable Knitting Needles
For beginner and seasoned knitters, interchangeable knitting needles are an important addition to your needle collection. Investing in an interchangeable set will give you a lot of flexibility in the kinds of projects that you can accomplish. You can choose from a variety of materials – wood, bamboo, or stainless steel – and even a variety of colors. Each interchangeable needles set will come with the needles and cables that you need to start knitting right away. Enjoy the Best Interchangeable Knitting Needles and happy knitting! Please comment below and share with us your favorite interchangeable knitting needles. We’d love to hear from you, comment below with your favorite interchangeable knitting needles!