This article is part of our new series of articles on the types of materials knitting needles are made of. It will cover how they feel and work, as well as the pros and cons are of each type. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what kind of knitting needles would work best for you, but as always the best way is to knit with it and see how you like it. We are starting this discussion on needles with Bamboo knitting needles…
Bamboo knitting needles
These are warm to the touch, light, vary from not slippery to smooth (still not as slick as metal knitting needles!) and can range from budget conscious to expensive! When new they tend to be a lighter colour and through use and age, they gradually become a golden yellow. This can also depend on the varnish that is used to coat them.
The inexpensive budget bamboo knitting needles are superb for beginners. They aren’t very slick so the stitches stick to the knitting needles, so they don’t fall off the needles. These aren’t as well made as the expensive ones, and you can feel the grain of the bamboo when you slide your fingers against the needle.
The expensive ones are buffed till they are smooth. They are then coated with lacquer, varnish or laminate. This makes them slick and protects the needle. This coating makes the needle smooth than if it was uncoated, however they are not as smooth as metal knitting needles.
Sometimes bamboo knitting needles ‘splinter’, the wood grain splints from the main needle, or the tip gets a little worn. To fix this, use a emery board and file the knitting needle until smooth. Try not to buff too much as this may remove the coating.
The major draw back to bamboo knitting needles is that the smaller sizes tend to be quite delicate and may break if you use force or are not gentle with them, ie sizes 3.75mm and below. I have broken 2 pairs of bamboo circular knitting needles in the smaller sizes.
The thing that bothers me the most is that when you knit with deeply coloured yarn on bamboo knitting needles, the bamboo needles may become stained with the colour of the yarn. This I really do not like. I tried to wash my needles with dishwashing liquid, which helped a little, but I was unable to completely remove the stain. This also affected the coating on the knitting needles, which means that they are not as smooth as when they were new. These were the expensive very nice bamboo knitting needles, not the cheap ones. No biggie, I will just replace them when I feel like it.
Over time, these bamboo knitting needles also tend to warp, especially in the smaller to medium sizes with larger projects. The knitting needle will not be straight. This does not effect knitting per say, just that doesn’t look new anymore.
Summary:
- warm to the touch
- light
- stitches stick to the needles
- fragile in smaller sizes
Bamboo knitting Needles
