Which Knitting Needles Are Best for Beginners?

Medium sizes are generally the best for beginners. This means you should look for a width size of six (4mm), seven (4.5mm), or eight (5mm). For length, a 10-inch needle is usually a good starter size because they'll be small enough to handle easily.

How do I choose knitting needles?

A simple guideline: Add the measurements (in millimeters) of the suggested needle size for each yarn and then use the needle that is closest in size to that number. For example, for a swatch of two strands of Wool-Ease Chunky, we added 6.5 mm plus 6.5 mm to get 13 mm. The closest needle size is 12 mm, which is a US 17.

Are wood or metal knitting needles better for beginners?

Wooden needles are where most people start and what we recommend for our Learn To Knit class. The advantage is that wood tends to be less slippery for newer knitters and therefore can be less frustrating to learn on.