Bamboo needles -- love 'em or hate 'em?

20 years ago

I just got rid of most of mine. No love lost.

Here's my experience with bamboo needles:

Back in July, I posted a message about my slow progress knitting a pair of socks. There were a couple of reasons for my slowness -- 1. I hadn't knitted in 15 years and the socks were my first new project. 2. Bamboo needles.

I became interested in knitting again when I wandered into a yarn shop while on vacation. The self-striping sock yarn caught my eye and a helpful saleslady recommended the bamboo needles.

She gushed on how light and "warm" the bamboo felt in the hands. What she didn't mention is that yarn seems to stick to bamboo. I found it slow work, knitting the stitches off those little size 2 bamboos. All along, I thought it was the skinny fingering weight yarn that made my knitting so slow. I plugged along with the first sock for a month, telling myself that knitting was supposed to be fun and relaxing and wondering why I was having to work so hard at it.

Then I bought a set of size 3 bamboos and some sport yarn. Those socks went a little faster. Then one day I was in the yarn dept. at AC Moore and on impulse, I bought a set of

Susan Bates Silvalume needles.

Wow! What a difference the metal needles make!

The sharp needle points get into the stitches easily and stitches glide off the needles quickly and smoothly.

The only bamboo needles I do like are the large sizes where metal ones can feel really heavy.

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Comments (11)

debbeeanne
20 years ago
I don't particularly like bamboo needles either. It definitely makes it go quicker when you use metal ones. I really love the addi turbo brand. The cord on the circular ones never gets twisted around, and the yarn really slides off easily. I only use bamboo when I have to.
Miss EFF
20 years ago
I love turbos and I love bamboos --- I HATE plastic needles!

Cathy
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sheilajoyce_gw
20 years ago
I have some old nylon plastic circulars I bought used on Ebay, so I do not know what they are really made of or by whom, but I love them. The "hip" at the join between the needle and the cable is so gradual and smooth that my yarn never hangs up there. And my hands do not get cold with these needles. I also like metal needles but in the winter my hands get cold using them. I have made larger knitting needles of wood dowel, and they work great, especially for slippery yarns. I have not tried bamboo. But you might try making the bamboo more slippery by rubbing them with waxed paper.
nannybird_gw
20 years ago
I've always loved my bamboo needles. I knit kinda loose so they work well for me. I have to really watch my cat, she chewed up the ends of my only pair of fancy walnut ones.
catlover_ks
20 years ago
I was learning to knit mittens on metal needles. Then I needed smaller needles because my gauge wasn't right. The yarn shop only had bamboo in the smaller size. I like them better. I like that the yarn "sticks" while I am trying to figure out what the heck to do! It doesn't slide off while I am hesitating. I suppose that once I have it down pat, I might enjoy the metal ones. But for right now I like the bamboo. I also like the feel of the wool/mohair yarn and the wooden needles. Its the whole ambiance or something. . . :-)
donna_loomis
20 years ago
I adore my bamboos. They are some of my favorite needles. But I don't use them for everything. My favorite bamboos are my 16" circulars and any dpns.
anne_b
20 years ago
I also love my bamboos, especially for lace knitting. They have the extra "hold" and keep the stitches in place. But I can understand why some knitters would rather use metal - if you knit tightly, your stitches will slide much better on an Addi Turbo! Right now I am working on rag wool socks on #6 dp bamboos . . and this particular set has beautiful grain and make me feel good!
donna_loomis
20 years ago
I just won an auction on ebay for 15 pair of bamboo 31" circulars, size 2mm to 12mm for $1.99 each (even after shipping!) I have the Boye Needlemaster and lots of other needles, but since I usually have many projects going at once, some are always in use. And the only circular bamboos I have are 16" (which I adore for hats and scarves). I can't wait to start using these circs for some baby blankets I need to get going on, etc.
suse17
20 years ago
I just started using a bamboo crochet hook (size K) for the first time on a two-strand baby blanket made with yarn I never used before (Bernat Coordinates). It was slow going, which I attributed to the two strands of boucle-ish yarn. After crocheting about 10 rounds - I gave it a fair chance, I think - I switched to an aluminum hook, and would bet that I doubled my speed. The pattern is simple and doesn't require any real concentration, so the stickiness factor is a real negative for me, at least for this project.
ell_in_or
20 years ago
I love my bamboo dpns. I knit loosely so if I use metal dpns I spend all my time chasing aluminum needles that dived out of my knitting and onto the floor. The bamboo at least doesn't go shooting off across the room. I have also used the milk protein ones, can't remember the name, and liked them a lot too.
donna_loomis
20 years ago
Bamboo hooks are another story altogether. I much prefer my Quicksilvers for crocheting.

The milk protein ones are called Casein. I have never seen them anywhere. I'm interested in trying some, but I would like to touch them first, so I didn't want to order them online. Guess I should check out my LYS.