Bamboo Knitting Needles

Bamboo knitting needles are lightweight and feel pleasantly warm in your hands. Stitches move more slowly along bamboo than along metal needles, so your work won't slip off the needle with every movement. You'll appreciate this when you're learning to knit or working with smooth, slippery yarn. Here you'll find circular needles with cables, double-pointed needles, sock needles and straight needles in sizes from 2 to 10 mm, from addi, Milward and Pony.

Which bamboo knitting needles should you choose?

Choose your needle type to suit what you want to make and whether you'll be knitting back and forth in rows or in the round.

• Circular needles with cables in lengths of 60, 80 or 100 cm (Milward, addi) – for jumpers, blankets and scarves, knitted flat or in the round.
• Double-pointed needles from addi, with a point at each end, in lengths of 15 or 20 cm and packs of 5 needles – for socks, gloves, sleeves and hats.
• Sock needles from Milward, 15 cm long and in sizes from 3 to 4 mm – for fine sock yarn.
• Straight needles measuring 33 cm (Milward, Pony) – for scarves, placemats and smaller pieces knitted back and forth in rows.

Which yarns work well with bamboo needles?

Bamboo has a slightly matt surface that gives slippery yarn a little grip as you knit. This makes bamboo needles a good choice for silk, bamboo or mercerised cotton yarn, which can easily slip off smooth metal needles. You can also use them comfortably with wool and acrylic yarn. Choose your needle size according to the recommendation on the yarn label – from 2 mm for socks to 10 mm for chunky yarn. If you're looking for yarn made from the same material, take a look at our bamboo yarn.

You'll find metal, aluminium and plastic needles in the knitting needles category.