Start knitting with the right tools and supplies. Knowing what you need is essential! Make a knitting starter kit. Here’s a list of knitting supplies a knitter needs for knitting.
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I reviewed, fact checked and updated this post on March 26, 2023.
What Do I Need To Start Knitting? Essential & Useful Knitting Accessories
Here’s what you need to create a knitting kit. Find these best knitting tools online, or at your local craft store/local yarn store. (Looking for knitting kits to do a project? See my post.) Read the list of the best accessories for knitting below.
1 Knitting Needles
The essential knitting tools for your knitting kit. There are knitting needle materials and styles depending on what you’re making, and the knitting technique.
- Straight Knitting Needles: The most recognizable needles in all sizes. Straight needles are excellent for flat knitting pieces like scarves and blankets. Boye aluminum knitting needles are great.
- Double Pointed Knitting Needles: These pointed needles are for knitting in the round. They have a point on each end. For smaller circumference projects like socks, mittens, a hat’s crown, and sleeves.
- Circular Knitting Needles: Great for circular pieces like sweater sleeves, socks, and hats. They have two needles attached to a cable.
- Interchangeable Knitting Needles: A set of interchangeable circular needle tips with cords. Combine the tips and cables to suit the length and size of a new project. Great value for money
Wood (like the popular Knitters Pride Symfonie Dreamz line) or bamboo needles are great for beginners as these grip your stitches better with a textured surface. My Clover bamboo circulars they feel nice in my hands. Test the material wood or bamboo to see which suits you.
Sizing in the United States is a number and millimeter (mm) in other countries. The needle size is listed in a knitting pattern.
2 Knitter Yarns: Essential Knitting Supplies!
Yarn types, thicknesses (yarn weight), textures, and materials! I recommend worsted weight yarn in acrylic for beginner knitters as this is cheap.
Prefer wool yarn? There are beautiful products in this category, including alpaca. Indie dyed yarns are popular, and cost more than commercial brands.
Don’t use novelty yarn like bobble yarn! It’s tricky. Looking for a novel project? See my guide to arm knitting chunky yarn. The quality and softness of the fibers could be tested at your local yarn shop (LYS). Mind you, ask first and place it on the inside of your wrist.
3 Stitch Markers
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Locking stitch markers mark your place in knitting patterns. When there’s a repeat or row when knitting in the round.
They also hold a dropped stitch, denoting the start of a new round of knitting. Shows the right or wrong side of your knitted fabric and tracks the stitches on the needle. They’re an essential knitting tool for beginners and experienced knitters. You could use a scrap piece of yarn.
4 Tapestry Needles
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A long, blunt-tipped tapestry needle to sew together a knitting project and weave in the ends and yarn tails. (AKA a darning needle or a yarn needle.)
They’re great for seaming or finishing techniques like the mattress and kitchener stitch. There are straight tips and bent tips. Not to be confused with sewing needles with a sharp point. Some knitters prefer a pointy end to weave in ends. There are plastic versions, but the steel ones are durable.
Working with bulky fiber? Ensure it fits through the eye.
5 Scissors
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For cutting threads and removing mistakes from knitted pieces. They should be sharp scissors, so you don’t make accidental tears in your knitting pattern! Embroidery scissors are great.
6 Knitting Gauge
This is a tool for measuring the thickness of needles. A knitting gauge is handy for needles with no sizing marked. Pop the needle into the holes until you find a match.
Gauges also have a ruler to measure your knitted swatch. A Needle Gauge checks how many stitches you knit over 4″. Some have a square window, and you place it on top of your swatch to measure.
7 A Knitting Bag: Keep Your Items & Projects Organized
Keep your knitting tools and knitting accessories together and organized, so it doesn’t take ages to find the right needle size! A knitting bag protects knitting needles and items from getting lost or bent. They have multiple pockets
Get one with spaces for notions and your yarn. Be mindful of anything with velcro, as this snags wool. My favorite is a drawstring bag to fit a sock project. If you sew, a DIY bag expresses your style.
8 Stitch Holders: Handy Little Notions
The most recognizable looks like a large safety pin. They keep a work in progress (known as WIP) from falling apart when you’re working on other knitting projects.
Have these handy in your knitting bag.
9 Measuring Tape
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These need to be in a knitter’s toolbox as much as in a sewist’s!
Measure a knitted piece/garment or knitting swatches. Use it if you need to take measurements! This tape measure has 60″ markings on 1 side and 150-centimeter markings on the other side. 1/2″ in width.
10 – Row Counter (App or Small Notebook)
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Digital counters for your finger. No more need for a pencil and paper! Press the button to record the number. These gadgets receive a 5 star rating and has fun colors.
Handy tool to keep track of your current knitting row. Other options are a notebook or note app on your phone.
11 Crochet Hooks
Why Do I Need A Crochet Hook For Knitting?
For picking up dropped stitches or stitches along an edge, finishing edges, adding trims, or casting on/off.
12 Yarn Swift & Yarn Winder
A swift is a handy tool for holding untwisted hanks of yarn while you wind them into balls or cakes. A yarn ball winder winds skeins of yarn.
Both make it easier for you to tame hanks into usable cakes of yarn, and it’s excellent for yarn storage too.
A yarn swift and yarn winder combination makes this tedious process faster, so you get back to your knitting projects. These are a worthwhile purchase for a way to save you time. Cakes pull from the center without tangling your yarn.
13 Sticky Notes Or Washi Tape
Knitting charts are hard to use. Tape a sticky note or washi tape on the row of the chart you’re working on. Not a problem to move and re-stick.
14 Knitting Needle Point Protectors
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These triangular needle caps protect the ends of your knitting needles. It stops knitting stitches from falling off the points.
Or pointy ends stabbing your bag or the project. Push the point with your finger when knitting? Use a thimble.
15 A Yarn Guide
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This tension guide ring by ItsVera slips on your finger. A yarn guide keeps an even tension of the working yarn for stitches.
16 Wool Wash
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Wash your knitting after you’ve finished making. On account of the processing of the wool and the natural oils of fibers.
Using woolen washes (a special shampoo) banishes oils, dirt, and other grime so it looks fresh. This cleaning product receives 5 stars.
Pin For Later
17 Yarn Threader
This tool threads a needle with yarn. This makes it easier to weave in ends when working with a yarn like mohair.
18 Yarn Storage
When knitting, it’s easy to accumulate a yarn stash! To save your sanity, organize and store your precious skeins so they’re easy to find when you need them.
19 Blocking Materials
After knitting, it’s essential to block your pieces so their patterns look the best and they don’t curl up. Sweaters, a scarf, shawls, and others benefit from this process.
Use blocking tools like blocking mats, blocking pins, or blocking boards.
20 Yarn Bowl
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Balls of yarn are notorious for getting away from you. Besides, your runaway yarn collects the dust! A yarn bowl or yarn holder solves that.
The metal yarn bowls from Furls are stunning and keep your yarn clean.The opening is to thread your strand through. These have a heavy bottom keeping them stable.
They’re made from everything from ceramic to mango wood.
21 Cable Needle
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This cable needle holds stitches when your pattern calls for it. Attach stitch markers on the little loop when not in use and pop it through a zipper on your project bag.
23 Knitting Row Counter
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This Clover Knitting Row Counter slides over your straight needle, and stays at the end. When you complete a row, change the dial to mark the rows.
23 Row Counter Ring
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Track rows when completing a pattern.
24 Yarn Bobbins
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Yarn bobbins hold yarns when knitting with over 1 color. They’re good for Intarsia Knitting, Fair Isle, and Color work.
25 Knitting Book
The new version includes photos and tutorials. Knitting methods, circular and flat knitting. Clear and easy-to-follow instructions. Suitable for beginners and advanced knitters.
26 Lilly Brush Lint Remover
Keeps sweaters and cardigans looking great.
27 Portuguese Knitting Tools
If you choose this style of knitting, there are a couple of tools that will not only be functional but beautiful.
Necklace For Portuguese Knitting
Portuguese Knitting Pin
Conclusion
Knitting is rewarding. However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the choices of the knitting tools you need to knit! In the comments, tell me if you have favorites I haven’t mentioned. Your email address is never published.
