addi Basics

Which knitting needle material is the right one for me?

Which knitting needle material is right for my project?

addi knitting needles are available in many different designs and variations, made of metal, wood and bamboo.

Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages, which each knitter feels individually. The perfect needle that always fits perfectly does not exist.

000 addi Sideshot2.2 needle tips knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles
Table of contents

Knitting needle material: metal, wood or bamboo?

The decision as to which knitting needle is appropriate for which project not only depends on the yarn selected and the techniques used, but also has a lot to do with personal preferences and the desired feeling when knitting.

It is always good to try out yarn and knitting needles. A piece of knitting that doesn’t go so well with acrylic needles, for example, can be much more fun with metal needles.
 

 

706 2 addiMystic Rundstricknadel Detail2 4c stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln
Material tips addi knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles

Knitting needle material: metal, wood or bamboo?

The decision as to which knitting needle is appropriate for which project not only depends on the yarn selected and the techniques used, but also has a lot to do with personal preferences and the desired feeling when knitting.

It is always good to try out yarn and knitting needles. A piece of knitting that doesn’t go so well with acrylic needles, for example, can be much more fun with metal needles.
 

 

Materials comparison

In any case, it is important that you enjoy your knitting and the right choice of knitting needle material contributes to this. To make this choice a little easier, we've put some thought into addi knitting needle variations to help find the right knitting needle for the project.

Noble natural material

Bamboo knitting needles

The addiNature Bambus-Rundstricknadeln are the all-rounders among knitting needles. They combine the positive properties of wood in terms of feel, look and sustainability and are still very affordable.

 
addi bamboo knitting needles have a waxed surface, which suits the knitter with a rather loose stitch pattern. They are warm to the touch and very light. Even fibrous yarns can be knitted well with them. Due to the deep-pored finish, the surface remains intact for a long time and does not wear off so quickly.
 

 

‘I use the addi bamboo knitting needles for wool, which is very soft and slippery. Mohair, alpaca, etc. These yarns slip more quickly on metal needles, which I sometimes find a hindrance, especially for fine patterns. I particularly like the finely crafted needle tip. This makes it easier to work with thin yarns for lace patterns.’

S. Poetzel (Amazon)

Flexibility is the big plus of bamboo needles. They can therefore be produced from a size of 2 mm. However, bamboo needles can bend or wear out under heavy use. For our bamboo needles we use slow-growing bamboo from Japan thus preserving nature and using the best available material.
 
We recommend bamboo knitting needles for loose knitters, knitters who tend to have wet hands, and for beginners who don't want to dig deep into their pockets for a new hobby.
addi Bamboo Knitting Needle
addiNature-Bambusstricknadeln
High quality bamboo
with extra fine surface
addi knitting needles made of bamboo (addiNature Bamboo circular knitting needle) Made in Germany
Bamboo knitting needles made from high quality bamboo
Flexibility is the big plus of bamboo needles. They can therefore be produced from a size of 2 mm. However, bamboo needles can bend or wear out under heavy use. For our bamboo needles we use slow-growing bamboo from Japan thus preserving nature and using the best available material.
 
We recommend bamboo knitting needles for loose knitters, knitters who tend to have wet hands, and for beginners who don't want to dig deep into their pockets for a new hobby.
addi Bamboo Knitting Needle
High quality bamboo
with extra fine surface
Noble natural material

Wood knitting needles

Knitting needles are also made from wood. addi offers the addiNature Olive Woodneedles, which are sustainably and environmentally friendly produced from olive trees that are no longer bearing fruit. Wooden needles also look very attractive and feel pleasantly warm and light in your hands when knitting. 
 
Knitting needles made of wood are very suitable for knitters who find metal needles too cool or who tend to have wet hands, because the wood does not become slippery.

‘Very good quality, beautiful colour, pleasant feel, smooth surface, for me the perfect surface (not too slippery, not too dull), pleasant to knit and yet robust and resilient.’

AC (Amazon)

For reasons of stability, knitting needles made of wood cannot be as thin as those made of bamboo or metal. The addiNature is therefore available with a size of 3 mm or more, as our quality standards for break resistance can only be met with this size. And just like the addi bamboo knitting needles, knitting with addi olive wood is very quiet.
Like the addi bamboo knitting needles, the addi olive wood knitting needles are very quiet to use. There's no clattering involved here.
 
For knitters who have an aesthetic and sustainable demand on their needles and who love warm and natural materials, we recommend our addiNature olive wood.

 

addi olive wood knitting needles
2 addi click system knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles
Each needle is unique
with unique grain
Olive wood crochet hooks
addi Olive Wood Knitting Needles (addiNature Olive Wood Round Knitting Needle) Made in Germany
For reasons of stability, knitting needles made of wood cannot be as thin as those made of bamboo or metal. The addiNature is therefore available with a size of 3 mm or more, as our quality standards for break resistance can only be met with this size. And just like the addi bamboo knitting needles, knitting with addi olive wood is very quiet.
Like the addi bamboo knitting needles, the addi olive wood knitting needles are very quiet to use. There's no clattering involved here.
 
For knitters who have an aesthetic and sustainable demand on their needles and who love warm and natural materials, we recommend our addiNature olive wood.

 

addi olive wood knitting needles
Each needle is unique
with unique grain
The durable needle evergreen

Metal knitting needles

Traditional knitting needles are often made of metal. They are particularly sturdy and durable. Brass, steel, stainless steel or aluminium can be used.

The shiny addi circular needles, such as addiPremium, addiNovel or addiUnicorn circular knitting needles are made from refined brass tubing with a white bronze finish, which makes the needles very light, sturdy and smooth.

addiSteel double-pointed needles are, as the name suggests, made of steel and the addiColibri, addiChristmas and addiMystic made of aluminium.
The anodised surface of the aluminium needles feels wonderfully smooth and velvety at the same time - thanks to this surface, the needles do not slip out of the knitting unintentionally and yet the stitches glide wonderfully over the smooth needles.

‘I have tried a wide variety of needles: this one is almost unbeatable. The wool slides on and nothing rubs or slows it down. The metal only feels cool at the beginning and automatically becomes pleasantly warm. The transition from needle to cord is very well made.’

Nette (Amazon)

Metal needles are characterised by their very smooth surface, which is really suitable for all yarns. Even cotton or synthetic fibres glide easily over the needles here. Knitting needles made of metal can also be produced in very small needle sizes due to their stability. 

Particularly fine lace tips are especially suitable for metal needles such as addiPremium Lace or addiMystic which makes knitting fine patterns and yarns easier.

114 7 addiPremium Classic Rundstricknadel Stimmung3 4c stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln
Ergonomic Round Knitting Needle-Metal-addiNovel-made in Germany
High-quality circular knitting needle-addiUnicorn - spiral structure metal pink made in Germany - flexible-usable

Metal needles are characterised by their very smooth surface, which is really suitable for all yarns. Even cotton or synthetic fibres glide easily over the needles here. Knitting needles made of metal can also be produced in very small needle sizes due to their stability. 

Particularly fine lace tips are especially suitable for metal needles such as addiPremium Lace or addiMystic which makes knitting fine patterns and yarns easier.

The influence of surface and structure

Not all knitting needles are the same. Whether classic round, square with a texture for special ergonomics and an extra even stitch pattern, or round with a spiral texture for perfectly smooth yarn gliding – there are perfect knitting needles for everyone.

Find out what makes our addi needle series so unique in the following articles:

 

Tip for a quick overview

Icons – materials and properties at a glance

To make selection easier, addi uses clear iconson all new product packaging, which immediately indicate all the essential properties of the materials and surfaces:

  • BrilliantThis icon indicates particularly shiny surfaces, such as steel or brass needles with white bronze finishing.
  • Natural: This symbol is used to label all natural materials, such as bamboo, olive wood, or walnut with an oiled or waxed natural surface.
  • Velvet Touch: shows needles with an anodized, velvety-soft surface that is smooth enough for yarn to glide easily, but feels more like wood.

The special characteristics of the structure and shape are also recognizable:

  • Light: indicates particularly lightweight models that are comfortable to hold.
  • Ergonomic: features ergonomically shaped needles that provide relief for sensitive or stressed hands.
  • Spiral: this icon represents a spiral structure (Unicorn series) that allows the yarn to glide smoothly.
  • Square: indicates needles with a square cross-section (Novel series), which promote a special knitting pattern and can have a massaging effect.
  • Basic and LaceThese indicate the different shapes of the tips – Basic for rounded tips, Lace for particularly fine tips for delicate work.
Square stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln
Light stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln
Natural stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln
Tip for a quick overview

Icons – materials and properties at a glance

To make selection easier, addi uses clear iconson all new product packaging, which immediately indicate all the essential properties of the materials and surfaces:

  • BrilliantThis icon indicates particularly shiny surfaces, such as steel or brass needles with white bronze finishing.
  • Natural: This symbol is used to label all natural materials, such as bamboo, olive wood, or walnut with an oiled or waxed natural surface.
  • Velvet Touch: shows needles with an anodized, velvety-soft surface that is smooth enough for yarn to glide easily, but feels more like wood.

The special characteristics of the structure and shape are also recognizable:

  • Light: indicates particularly lightweight models that are comfortable to hold.
  • Ergonomic: features ergonomically shaped needles that provide relief for sensitive or stressed hands.
  • Spiral: this icon represents a spiral structure (Unicorn series) that allows the yarn to glide smoothly.
  • Square: indicates needles with a square cross-section (Novel series), which promote a special knitting pattern and can have a massaging effect.
  • Basic and LaceThese indicate the different shapes of the tips – Basic for rounded tips, Lace for particularly fine tips for delicate work.

Shape of the tips: lace or basic?

In addition to the material, the tip of the knitting needle is also important and should be matching with the knitting project.
 
That's why some addi needles have a basic and a lace version.
In the Basic version addi needles are equipped with roundet tips. These are perfect for beginners and for working with fanned or double held yarns, which you would split with more pointed needle tips.
However, knitters who guide the needle with their finger and are uncomfortable with very sharp needle tips on their fingertips will also appreciate the slightly rounded Basic needles.

Lace Basic knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles
204 7 addiColibri LACE stocking needles double pointed needles aluminium coloured anodised 2 8mm 152023cm US 0 11 6 8 9 madeinGermany Sideshot5 rgb knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles

Shape of the tips: lace or basic?

In addition to the material, the tip of the knitting needle is also important and should be matching with the knitting project.
 
That's why some addi needles have a basic and a lace version.
In the Basic version addi needles are equipped with roundet tips. These are perfect for beginners and for working with fanned or double held yarns, which you would split with more pointed needle tips.
However, knitters who guide the needle with their finger and are uncomfortable with very sharp needle tips on their fingertips will also appreciate the slightly rounded Basic needles.

716 7 addiUnicorn Lace Rundstricknadel Anwendung1 4c stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln

addi Lace knitting needles are pointed at the tip and are ideal for working delicate patterns which require a fine needle tip to knit several stitches together or to insert the needle deeper. They are particularly popular with experienced knitters for their precision handling.

addiNovel fine knitting needle3 application blog post knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles

addi Lace knitting needles are pointed at the tip and are ideal for working delicate patterns which require a fine needle tip to knit several stitches together or to insert the needle deeper. They are particularly popular with experienced knitters for their precision handling.

576 2 addiClick olive wood Olive wood Clicksystem 35 8mm US 4 11 MadeinGermany free1 rgb knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles
740 2 addiClick NovelAccessories 4c knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles
Our tip: addiClick

Simply change the tips

Our addiClick needle sets with interchangeable tips are very practical for always having the right tip for the right project at hand.
The innovative addiClick system allows the needle tip and cord to be easily connected without tools and, if necessary, simply replaced with a needle tip made of a different material and the cord length optimally adjusted.
All click tips are also available in pairs so you can try them out with no obligation.
 
addi Click Cases: Interchangeable Knitting Needles
Our tip: addiClick

Simply change the tips

Our addiClick needle sets with interchangeable tips are very practical for always having the right tip for the right project at hand.
The innovative addiClick system allows the needle tip and cord to be easily connected without tools and, if necessary, simply replaced with a needle tip made of a different material and the cord length optimally adjusted.
All click tips are also available in pairs so you can try them out with no obligation.
 
576 2 addiClick olive wood Olive wood Clicksystem 35 8mm US 4 11 MadeinGermany free1 rgb knitting needles,knitting needle material,material knitting needles

All addi circular knitting needles:

addi circular knitting needles
addiNature-Bambusstricknadeln
addi Basics
Why are there different types of knitting needles?

All knitting projects can look completely different, but they are all created with the same tool, the knitting needle. It is a matter of personal taste which type of knitting needle you prefer, but it is important to know that not every needle is suitable for every knitting project.

Read story
addiPremium Lace Rundstricknadel fein extra spitz made in Germany
addi Products
Our full range of premium knitting needles - made in Germany.

Discover our full range of premium knitting needles, knitting needle sets or circular and jacket knitting needles made of high quality materials. High quality addi knitting needles - of course made in Germany!

Knitting needles overview
21 Schritte addiPremium stricknadeln,Stricknadelmaterial,material stricknadeln
Precious
Story - Production of a knitting needle
21 steps to the addiPremium circular knitting needle

How are our knitting needles produced and how many steps does it take to get to the finished needle? We are always happy to show our guests this during factory tours and summarised for you in this story.

Read story