Story

The secret of a perfect bamboo needle

The production of bamboo needles is an art. It begins with the selection of the raw material, about which the most fantastic stories are told. It grows faster than probably any other plant, allegedly up to one meter per day. It grows faster than probably any other plant, reportedly up to one meter per day.
bamboo forest bamboo needle
Table of contents

Thomas Selter, Europe’s largest knitting needle manufacturer with production in Germany, reveals the secret of a good bamboo needle.

Question:
The better the needle, the greater the knitting pleasure. There are around 1200 varieties of bamboo. Can any be used for knitting needle production?
 
Thomas Selter:
Probably not. If you don’t want to just put the bamboo in the vase, it depends a lot on the quality. There are fast growing bamboo from humid and warm areas of Asia. This is not suitable for needle production because it frays and splits. Bamboo for knitting needles should grow in cool areas, because there it grows slower, becomes thicker and has less joints.
 
Bamboo crochet hooks
AGF 4863 Staff Bamboo Needle
Thomas Selter in interview

Thomas Selter, Europe’s largest knitting needle manufacturer with production in Germany, reveals the secret of a good bamboo needle.

Question:
The better the needle, the greater the knitting pleasure. There are around 1200 varieties of bamboo. Can any be used for knitting needle production?
 
Thomas Selter:
Probably not. If you don’t want to just put the bamboo in the vase, it depends a lot on the quality. There are fast growing bamboo from humid and warm areas of Asia. This is not suitable for needle production because it frays and splits. Bamboo for knitting needles should grow in cool areas, because there it grows slower, becomes thicker and has less joints.
 
Thomas Selter in interview
Question:
Joints?
 
Thomas Selter:
Bamboo joints are natural knots on the outer wall of the hollow plant. The higher quality the plant, the fewer nodes or “joints” interrupt the outer wall, allowing it to be used for long and thicker needles.
 
Question:
Which bamboo do you prefer for knitting needle production?
 
Thomas Selter:
We order our material for addi bamboo needles from the region around Osaka in Japan. The bamboo producers there work with a lot of know-how. They source the pre-processed sticks from the region around Hiroshima and lovingly process them in up to 20 steps. This makes for an extremely smooth and hard needle that is light and beautiful to the touch.
 
Hands Production addi MadeingermanyOP9 1031 Bamboo Needle
Production at addi
addiClick Bamboo Tips Production2 Bamboo Needle
Bamboo Growth Bamboo 3028709 1280 Bamboo Needle
Question:
Joints?
 
Thomas Selter:
Bamboo joints are natural knots on the outer wall of the hollow plant. The higher quality the plant, the fewer nodes or “joints” interrupt the outer wall, allowing it to be used for long and thicker needles.
 
Question:
Which bamboo do you prefer for knitting needle production?
 
Thomas Selter:
We order our material for addi bamboo needles from the region around Osaka in Japan. The bamboo producers there work with a lot of know-how. They source the pre-processed sticks from the region around Hiroshima and lovingly process them in up to 20 steps. This makes for an extremely smooth and hard needle that is light and beautiful to the touch.
 
Production at addi
Question:
What is the next step in the manufacturing process of addi needles?
 
Thomas Selter:
At addi, we are proud to assemble the bamboo circular knitting needles completely in our factory in Germany: The raw material from the precious bamboo is delivered to us directly from Japan. The “marriage” between the rope and the lace is then carried out entirely by our addi employees here in Altena. They ensure the perfect transition from the soft rope to the metal part and the completely seamless transition from the metal sleeve to the bamboo tip. And anyone who holds the addi bamboo needles in their hands can feel how much love and effort it took to produce the perfect needle from the bamboo cane in many work steps.lThe result is the perfect needle in every step of the process.
 
 
 
561 2 addiCraSyTrio Bamboo LONG bendable needle play needles 3 needles bamboo 4 8mm 30cm MadeinGermany mood rgb bamboo needle
Blog post Janine Binder addi Bamboo Knitting Needle 0035 e1603260479722 972x600 1 Bamboo Needle
Made in Germany
Question:
What is the next step in the manufacturing process of addi needles?
 
Thomas Selter:
At addi, we are proud to assemble the bamboo circular knitting needles completely in our factory in Germany: The raw material from the precious bamboo is delivered to us directly from Japan. The “marriage” between the rope and the lace is then carried out entirely by our addi employees here in Altena. They ensure the perfect transition from the soft rope to the metal part and the completely seamless transition from the metal sleeve to the bamboo tip. And anyone who holds the addi bamboo needles in their hands can feel how much love and effort it took to produce the perfect needle from the bamboo cane in many work steps.lThe result is the perfect needle in every step of the process.
 
 
 
Made in Germany

Features of bamboo knitting needles:

A quiet journey

They are almost inaudible while knitting and the warm surface is comfortable to hold. Bamboo needles are very robust and at the same time light as a feather. They can bend easily and therefore adapt to the shape of the hand without breaking.

Whether your hands are damp in summer or cold in winter, the lightweight and hand-warming bamboo with its open-pored surface finish can absorb and release moisture and never feels too cold or warm. In addition, it does not dazzle due to its matte surface.

Knitting needle made of bamboo - perfectly suited for rather smooth yarns, such as:

  • Cotton
  • Merino wool
  • Linen yarns
  • Silk yarns
  • Tencel yarns
  • Viscose yarns
Knitting Toe-up Socks with addiCraSyTrio Bamboo
Tip:

The perfect knitting needles for beginners

Compared to metal knitting needles, the natural, waxed surface of our high-quality bamboo is less slippery. This is an advantage for all those who knit very loosely or are new to knitting and has the advantage that the stitches do not slip off the needle faster than intended.

With their basic tips, the needles are also not too sharp, which prevents unintentional piercing of twisted yarns.

addi Jacket Knitting Needles, Straight Knitting Needles (addiNature Bamboo Jacket Knitting Needle Bamboo) Jacket Knitting Needle made of Bamboo
Tip:

The perfect knitting needles for beginners

Compared to metal knitting needles, the natural, waxed surface of our high-quality bamboo is less slippery. This is an advantage for all those who knit very loosely or are new to knitting and has the advantage that the stitches do not slip off the needle faster than intended.

With their basic tips, the needles are also not too sharp, which prevents unintentional piercing of twisted yarns.

To the bamboo knitting needle assortment

addiNature Bamboo Series
560 2 addiCraSyTrio Bamboo biegsames Nadelspiel Spielenadeln 3 Nadeln Bambus 2 5mm 24cm MadeinGermany frei1 rgb 1 Bambusnadel
addiCraSyTrio Bamboo Short (24 cm)
Umweltschutz und Nachhaltigkeit gehört zur Firmenphilosophie von addi. Daher gibt es die addiCraSyTrio-Serie auch ausle…
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561 2 addiCraSyTrio Bamboo LONG 55mm Bambusnadel
addiCraSyTrio Bamboo Long (30 cm)
Die addiCraSyTrio Bamboo gibt es auch mit 12,5 cm langen Spitzen, wenn es mal etwas mehr sein darf. Mit einer Gesamtlän…
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556 2 addiClick BAMBOO bamboo tips single knitting Tips knitting madeinGermany free1 rgb 1 bamboo needle
addiClick Nature Bamboo Tips
addiClick Nature Bamboo tips made from fine bamboo - for a pleasantly light and warm knitting feeling. Made in Germany...
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