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Darning needles are one of the essential knitting accessories that every knitter, new as well as seasoned experts must own. For darning the seams or edges, making the proper finish of a project, weaving in yarn ends or repairing mistakes, the darning needles are used for many purposes. Often referred to as tapestry or wool or finishing needles, the darning needles are the unsung heroes of the knitting world. Such is the multipurpose use that even in the olden days every woman and man used to carry one on themselves at all times.

Choosing the right darning needle is very important for its significant purpose in knitting as well as other yarn crafts. Also like knitters are different, every needle is different. The darning needles come in different materials and lengths with different kinds of tips and different-sized holes for the yarn to pass through. The Mindful Collection offers high-density laminated wood darning needles in the teal shade as well as bent-tipped plastic needles in each Mindful knitting needle set. If you have explored the range of stainless steel knitting needles, you are well aware of the fact that the entire range focuses on the meditative aspects of the craft. Each of the accessories is designed on the same theme of mindfulness. The mindful darning needles are a great choice for all knitters.

Here are a few facts about the Mindful Darning Needles

Needle Tips

The Mindful Collection offers darning needles in both types of round straight tips as well as bent tips.

The round straight tip of the darning needles is great for going through different kinds of yarn without damaging the stitches or the yarn fibre. As the knitted fabric is permeable in comparison to other fabrics, the tip doesn’t need to be sharp. In fact, blunt tips or rounded ones let you work through stitches without slicing through individual strands of yarn.

Bent-tipped darning needles are also very helpful when you’re seaming two pieces together. They navigate very clearly without snagging any stitches.

Even when weaving in ends such as in colourwork or lace patterns, the blunt tips can comfortably slice through part of a yarn making the tail a part of the final fabric.

Many times darning involves “plucking” individual stitches and pulling the needle underneath them so the blunt edge can work smoothly without any damage. For this same reason, they are also ideal for duplicate stitches on a finished knitted fabric.

Even when you’re doing tricks that involve more of an up-down or side-to-side motion, like seaming two sides together with mattress stitch, a bent-tipped darning needle may be more comfortable for you.

Needle Size

The general rule of thumb is to use darning needles a size smaller than the knitting needle. The trick is not too small size, in fact, a snug fit is good. You don’t want the yarn too slip through the big eye or force too thick of yarn through too small of an eye.

If the yarn slips through, you will be taking much more time to complete the simple task and be frustrated. And, if the yarn is too thick, the abrasion of the wood needle will gradually cause the yarn to wear thin and break taking more time to rectify the error and lose precious yarn in the process. Even if you’re darning a small end or you’re seaming an entire sleeve, you don’t want to lose your end halfway through.

If you’re unsure that a darning needle is a right match for your fabric, we have an easy way to check. Simply hold the darning needle over your fabric, or slide it horizontally through one stitch. If the needle is as wide as a stitch is tall, you should switch to a smaller needle. Ideally, you don’t want it to be any more than half as wide as the stitch is tall.

The More the Merrier

Like knitting needles and stitch markers, you can never have too many darning needles. You need to have them in different sizes. When it comes to darning needles, the Mindful Collection offers 2 big and 2 small darning needles in a wooden case.

Uses of the Darning Needles

Now coming to the use of darning needles. Whether it is a pair of socks or a wide blanket, you’ll always be needing the darning needle.

Weave in yarn ends - Every knitting project will have at least two yarn ends to weave in while there will be many when you use different yarns. With a darning needle, you can weave every end no matter the knitted stitches. Just thread the yarn tails and go through the knitted stitches as invisibly as possible.

Repair Holes - There will be knitting patterns where you come across mistakenly made holes. Here too, the darning needles can cover up holes from the opposite side of the knitted fabric.

Duplicate Stitches - Sometimes when you need to add beauty to a simple knitted fabric, duplicate stitches are of great help. Thread yarn in a different shade on a darning needle and go through the stitches to make interesting designs, alphabets and more.

So, with this guide on everything you need to know about darning needles get ready to create some wonderful projects.

Happy knitting!

Source: https://writeupcafe.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-mindful-darning-needles/

Knitting lace is an art. Even the simplest of designs look beautiful. Lace knitting patterns are simply made with lightweight lace yarn and bigger knitting needle sizes forming artful holes in the pattern. Many beginner knitters though impressed with the beauty of lace knitting shy away from the artful knitting thinking it would be difficult or would require special tools. The good news is you can knit lace with your regular knitting needles. It does take some special techniques but that can be easily managed with a sharp-tipped smooth knitting needle. Lace knitting techniques are a little different than regular knitting. In this blog, we’ll take you through some points to consider to choose needles for lace knitting.

Knitting Needle types

For knitting lace projects, you can go ahead with any knitting needle type. If you are knitting back and forth, the options are single-pointed and circular needles. Say for example if you are knitting a lace shawl or a scarf, you can easily knit with any of these. For knitting in rounds, double pointed as well as the range of circular needles is fine to work with.

Many knitters prefer fixed and interchangeable circular needles as with this you can knit both flat and round with them. ICNs or interchangeable needle sets are preferred for giving the freedom of switching the needle and cable according to the requirement of the project. Another blessing for lace knitting is that stainless steel interchangeable circular needles from the Mindful Collection have a lifeline hole. Thread in a lifeline and enjoy knitting complex patterns without any worry. Use a yarn of contrasting colour and thread it in the hole and this will weave in through your knitted pattern saving it from mistakes. The only thing to keep in mind when knitting with circular needles is to have smooth joins where the needle tip meets the cable. These joins must be smooth and not snag the yarn when moving the stitches from the cord to the needle.

Circular needles are the ideal choice if you are a knitter on the go, taking your projects on your regular commute or vacation. Given the needle length, it allows the stitches to be easily spread over the cable and tips making it easy to view the stitches clearly.

Knitting Needle Material

Coming to the material of the needles, metals and stainless steel are the most preferred. The lightweight yet sturdy material suits the need perfectly as the smooth surfaces allow a steady flow of stitches.  The knitting needles have to go through the stitches multiple times and the smooth steel surface lets the yarn and stitches flow. The neutral surface and the smooth glide it has for all kinds of yarn and especially lace yarns make it an unbeatable choice.

 Durable Needles

A general requirement for lace knitting is bigger size needles in comparison to the yarn weight. Most knitting patterns mention the needle size but if you are planning your own design then make sure to go for bigger sizes than the ones matching the yarn. Always knit a gauge swatch to get an idea of how your knitted fabric will look like. A small 10 cm square with the same knitting needles and yarn used in the project can give an idea is you have the right needle size, yarn and how the stitches are turning up. Now the bigger needle size does not mean US 10 or such but can start from US 3 to even US 7 or US 8. The trick is to have a durable needle such as steel to smoothly work with any weight of yarn.

Sharp Precision Tips

Lace knitting stitches and techniques require accuracy and for that, the best knitting needles for lace patterns is sharp ones. Like cutting vegetables with a blunt knife makes the task difficult so does knitting lace with blunt needles. The precision tips are helpful in knitting lace patterns. Many times the needle has to go in two or even three stitches at once, thus there is a need for sharp tips. The requirement for yarn over (yo) once or multiple times also works smoothly with the sharp tip and smooth steel surface.

With this guide, we hope you choose the right needles for lace knitting. Given the points discussed, the knitting needles from the Mindful Collection. The range of stainless steel knitting needles have sharp tapered points and come in variants of single pointed needles, double-points (DPNs) as well as circular needles in options of both fixed and interchangeable. Many of its needles are rightly named lace knitting needles. Not just individual needles, you can explore the knitting needle sets with multiple needles and accessories. Also in the collection you can choose stitch markers that are essential for lace knitting, darning needles to weave in yarn ends, sharp scissors, row counters to keep count and bags and cases to keep your knitting safe and secure.

Happy lace knitting!

Source: https://ext-6117053.livejournal.com/1524.html

Blocking your knitting is a major step in the successful completion of projects. After your project or a gauge swatch is off the knitting needles, it’s time for blocking. Blocking means relaxing your yarn and the overall knitted project. After all your yarn has been wound, unwound, twisted, tugged and stored for the duration of making your project. Now, the knitted yarn needs some love and pampering. There are many ways to block your knitted projects with specially-designed blocking tools to smooth your process.

Let’s take you through the method of blocking.

1. Wet Blocking - A common way of blocking wool and animal fiber yarns. Fill a sink or tub with lukewarm water (hot water may cause felting in wool!) with some wash and mix it thoroughly.Submerge your project until fully saturated.Let the knitted project rest in the bath for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. Lift the project out of the water gently. Make sure to not let the knitted project stretch or distort due to the water weight. Lay your wet project flat on a clean, dry towel or bedsheet. Roll the cloth and gently press out the extra water. Once its semi-dry, lay your project on blocking mats or a rubber yoga mat (spare one), bath mat, etc. Adjust your project and pin it with knit blockers.

1. Spray Blocking – Lace projects and cotton fabric is blocked with spray blocking. Lightly spray with a diluted mix of wool wash and water in a regular spray bottle. The damp project can be shaped to approximately match the finished dimensions. Place knit blockers at intervals while stretching your project to the desired dimensions. When your piece is fully dry, unpin and use.

1. Steaming – This method is recommended for delicate lace projects. Use knit blockers to pin the knitted project. In this method, you would want the steam to penetrate the piece. So, lay a light sheet or cotton towel over the project. If the project is made of cotton yarn, you can let the iron touch the fabric very lightly. You can also steam first and let your piece rest after using the knit blockers.

Use the blocking methods for your knit gauge swatch. After the swatch has been blocked, it will give an accurate result of the row and stitch count. You will also get a clear idea of how the yarn reacts after being washed, sprayed or steamed. For blocking your knitted projects, carefully use the knit blockers. Do not insert between the stitches. Blocking can work wonders for many projects, allowing to match dimensions, let the yarn bloom and even clean the yarn. So, be it the stockinette stitch or the intricate cables or the delicate lace, you make on any of the knitting needles, do not miss out on the process of blocking. Like knitting needle sets make your life easier, so does the blocking tools. You will be thankful for the extra effort.

If you want to explore and practice the meditative aspects of knitting, the Mindful Collection offers stainless steel needles & accessories to enjoy crafting!

Source: https://uberant.com/article/1874308-how-to-block-your-knitting/