The perfect needles for summer
Knitting is only for fall and winter …? With the suitable material for needle and yarn, knitting is also fun in the warm season – whether on the beach, in the hammock or on the train on a vacation trip.
In this story, you’ll find out what you should keep in mind so that the needle doesn’t slip out of your hand or the yarn sticks to your lap.
The suitable material for the summer
When it’s warm, we sweat easily, even and especially on the palms of our hands, and even more so with a woolly piece of knitting in our hands. Under some circumstances, it may even happen that your metal needles smell metallic due to constant contact with hand perspiration. Water and mild cleaning agents can provide a solution.
We recommend needles made of natural materials for summer or our angular addiNovel, which do not slip out of the knitted piece so easily thanks to their unique structure.
We asked our followers on Instagram, “Which needle do you prefer in the summer?”
Summary: Many knitters who knit with metal needles like to use it in the summer because it feels pleasantly cool. Many rely on the ergonomic addiNovel needles with their structure.
The suitable material for the summer
When it’s warm, we sweat easily, even and especially on the palms of our hands, and even more so with a woolly piece of knitting in our hands. Under some circumstances, it may even happen that your metal needles smell metallic due to constant contact with hand perspiration. Water and mild cleaning agents can provide a solution.
We recommend needles made of natural materials for summer or our angular addiNovel, which do not slip out of the knitted piece so easily thanks to their unique structure.
We asked our followers on Instagram, “Which needle do you prefer in the summer?”
Summary: Many knitters who knit with metal needles like to use it in the summer because it feels pleasantly cool. Many rely on the ergonomic addiNovel needles with their structure.
The suitable needle material for your yarn
When choosing the right knitting needle, you should keep in mind that not every yarn can be knitted well with every needle. Depending on the fiber, for example, one yarn glides perfectly on the bamboo needle, while another stops too much with the material.
Therefore, the material of the knitting needle should be chosen depending on the fiber that will be knitted. This will ensure that the stitches slip well over the needle and you do not have to push too hard.
The rule of thumb here:
- Rough fiber = smooth needle,
- Smooth fiber = rough needle
Learn more about different summer yarns as well as the matching needles in our story “Summer yarns”.
The suitable needle material for your yarn
When choosing the right knitting needle, you should keep in mind that not every yarn can be knitted well with every needle. Depending on the fiber, for example, one yarn glides perfectly on the bamboo needle, while another stops too much with the material.
Therefore, the material of the knitting needle should be chosen depending on the fiber that will be knitted. This will ensure that the stitches slip well over the needle and you do not have to push too hard.
The rule of thumb here:
- Rough fiber = smooth needle,
- Smooth fiber = rough needle
Learn more about different summer yarns as well as the matching needles in our story “Summer yarns”.
The suitable needle for tighly or loose knitters
Depending on whether you knit very loosely or very tightly, certain materials of a knitting needle are more suitable for you than others.
The rule of thumb:
Tightly knitters
If you knit very loosely, then smooth metal needles without a grippy texture and with extra-fine lace tips are ideal for you. These prevent stitches from unintentionally slipping off the needle while you are knitting.
Tip: Our addiUnicorn spiral texture further helps the stitches glide over the needle tips.
Well suited for this purpose:
Tightly knitters
If you knit very loosely, then smooth metal needles without a grippy texture and with extra-fine lace tips are ideal for you. These prevent stitches from unintentionally slipping off the needle while you are knitting.
Tip: Our addiUnicorn spiral texture further helps the stitches glide over the needle tips.
Well suited for this purpose:
Loose knitters
If you knit very loosely, needles with a “blunter” feel or needles with texture are ideal for you. They prevent stitches from slipping off the needle unintentionally while knitting.
Well suited for this purpose:
- addiNovel - ergonomic needles
- addiMystic – with a soft “velvety touch” surface
- addiNature Bamboo - natural bamboo needles
- addiNature Olive Wood - Unique pieces of precious olive wood
- addiColibri double pointed needles aluminium colour anodized
Loose knitters
If you knit very loosely, needles with a “blunter” feel or needles with texture are ideal for you. They prevent stitches from slipping off the needle unintentionally while knitting.
Well suited for this purpose:
- addiNovel - ergonomic needles
- addiMystic – with a soft “velvety touch” surface
- addiNature Bamboo - natural bamboo needles
- addiNature Olive Wood - Unique pieces of precious olive wood
- addiColibri double pointed needles aluminium colour anodized
Knitters with moderate yarn tension
The choice is yours – depending on the texture of your yarn and your preference for basic or lace tips, you’re sure to find your favourite needle in our full range of knitting needles made from many different materials and finishes. Knitting Needles made of many different materials and surfaces, you are sure to find your favourite needle.
Knitters with moderate yarn tension
The choice is yours – depending on the texture of your yarn and your preference for basic or lace tips, you’re sure to find your favourite needle in our full range of knitting needles made from many different materials and finishes. Knitting Needles made of many different materials and surfaces, you are sure to find your favourite needle.
For summer – bamboo and olive wood or addiMystic
For sweaty hands in the summer, we recommend using knitting needles made of wood or bamboo.
For very fine needle sizes or a very tight stitch pattern, we recommend the following for knitting smooth yarns: addiMystic made of aluminium with an anodised surface. It offers a good mix of a smooth needle and fine tips, while its velvety texture gives more grip with smooth yarns.
Our addiNature needles made of Olive wood using Bamboo and the addiMystic are coated with high-quality wax, which protects the material for a long time and makes it smooth. Both the natural wood surface and the anodised aluminium are less smooth than shiny metal needles. This has the positive side effect that the needles do not dazzle when knitting in the sun.
Especially when knitting particularly airy and smooth summer yarns such as linen, mercerized cotton or silk, a natural surface ensures that the stitches do not slip off the needle unintentionally.
The natural knitting needles made of wood are open-pored due to their surface finish and can absorb and release moisture. This makes your hands less sweaty when in contact with the needles.
Another advantage: knitting needles made of wood are particularly light in your luggage. Even in the hand luggage on the plane you can take your short, small wooden needles in contrast to the metal variant partly. However, you should definitely clarify this with the airline beforehand. Caros Fummeley).
For summer – bamboo and olive wood or addiMystic
For sweaty hands in the summer, we recommend using knitting needles made of wood or bamboo.
For very fine needle sizes or a very tight stitch pattern, we recommend the following for knitting smooth yarns: addiMystic made of aluminium with an anodised surface. It offers a good mix of a smooth needle and fine tips, while its velvety texture gives more grip with smooth yarns.
Our addiNature needles made of Olive wood using Bamboo and the addiMystic are coated with high-quality wax, which protects the material for a long time and makes it smooth. Both the natural wood surface and the anodised aluminium are less smooth than shiny metal needles. This has the positive side effect that the needles do not dazzle when knitting in the sun.
Especially when knitting particularly airy and smooth summer yarns such as linen, mercerized cotton or silk, a natural surface ensures that the stitches do not slip off the needle unintentionally.
The natural knitting needles made of wood are open-pored due to their surface finish and can absorb and release moisture. This makes your hands less sweaty when in contact with the needles.
Another advantage: knitting needles made of wood are particularly light in your luggage. Even in the hand luggage on the plane you can take your short, small wooden needles in contrast to the metal variant partly. However, you should definitely clarify this with the airline beforehand. Caros Fummeley).
Bamboo and olive wood knitting needles are – with firm, classic twisting – very suitable for the following smooth fibers:
- Cotton
- Silk
- Linen
- Tencel
- Viscose
- Merino
Projects for summer
In addition to the material of the knitting needle, the size of the project on the needles also plays a role.
Whether made of cotton or sheep’s wool, large projects such as blankets, cardigans or sweaters become so long in the course of a knitting project that they also serve as lap covers. Therefore, for summer, we recommend smaller or airy knit projects such as tops, light summer sweaters or knit projects that can be sewn together from several individual pieces.
On the go or lying on the beach, space-saving and simple projects such as thin socks, sneaker socks or accessories such as dishcloths are also a suitable project. They require little instruction and concentration.
You find suitable instructions on our blog or in our addi2go app.
Projects for summer
In addition to the material of the knitting needle, the size of the project on the needles also plays a role.
Whether made of cotton or sheep’s wool, large projects such as blankets, cardigans or sweaters become so long in the course of a knitting project that they also serve as lap covers. Therefore, for summer, we recommend smaller or airy knit projects such as tops, light summer sweaters or knit projects that can be sewn together from several individual pieces.
On the go or lying on the beach, space-saving and simple projects such as thin socks, sneaker socks or accessories such as dishcloths are also a suitable project. They require little instruction and concentration.
You find suitable instructions on our blog or in our addi2go app.
Result:
There is no one perfect knitting needle and material for summer. Depending on your project, your style of knitting, your preferences and the yarn, the knitting needle you need will also vary.
We hope this overview of the most important factors in choosing the right needle will help you find your favorite knitting needle or crochet hook.
Because knitting is also fun in the summer – whether on the beach, in the hammock or on the train on the vacation trip.
