Summary

1.  Identify your fabric  type

2.  Determine your thread size

3.  Understand what you're trying to accomplish

4.  Select a needle type

5.   Select a needle size

6.  Try it out!

7.  A bit about brands

Glossary

Needle Guide

Resources:
Kreinik
Caron 
Rainbow Gallery
DMC
Colonial Needle

When I first started cross stitching, I had already been sewing clothing, so I thought I would have enough supplies.  I bought a few skeins of floss, borrowed a pattern from my grandmother, bought an afghan and rummaged around my sewing box for a general purpose needle.  What a disaster!  The crosses were not the same size because the needle kept trying to split the fuzzy afghan threads instead of going neatly into the existing holes.  I slogged through the pattern and got it done, but couldn't understand why anyone enjoyed cross stitch.  When I told my grandmother about my project, she said "Good heavens, Catherine! You're using the wrong needle."  When I switched needles, everything fell into place.  My work looks much better now!

You can avoid repeating my experience!  Just follow these eight easy steps before consulting the handy chart below and you'll be sure to have the right needle for the job.

1.  Identify your fabric type

Tightly woven fabrics will require a sharper needle to penetrate the weave.  Looser fabrics, evenweaves and canvas require a blunt tipped needle.  Blunt needles just "push aside" the fabric threads to go between them.  Using a sharp needle on a loose fabric invites trouble.   If you hold the fabric up to the light and cannot see distinct holes, you probably need a sharp needle, otherwise, use a blunt tip.   Examples of a tightly woven fabrics: satin, quilting cotton, cotton or synthetic blends for embroidery (like tablecloths, pillowcases).  Examples of loosely woven fabrics:   AIDA, linen, needlepoint canvas, Congress Cloth, synthetic evenweaves (Tula, Klostern, Monaco, Lugana and such).

2. Determine your thread size

The thread you're using will determine how large an eye you will need.  Your pattern should tell you what type of thread you should use, and how many plies (strands) to use together.  If you are not sure, consult a thread coverage guide.  Many of the thread manufacturers have these on their websites.  You should use the smallest eye you can comfortably thread for your projects, to avoid stretching large holes in your project.  Crewel embroidery typically uses a single ply of wool yarn; persian and tapestry yarns are used for needlepoint and use 1-2 plies typically; #5 pearl and embroidery floss are used for cross stitch in various plies depending on the fabric; #3 pearl is normally used in a single ply for needlepoint.  Ribbons, metallics, and blending filament will need larger eyes.

3. Be clear what you're trying to accomplish

This is important.  No rules can cover every situation, so here's where you do some thinking.  Are you working a design through the fabric?  Doing surface embellishment?  Attaching lining?  Working with ribbon or cable?  Adding beads?  Regardless of your fabric, you need different needles for different purposes.  A longer, sharp needle will be used to attach lining fabric to needlepoint.  A needle with a tiny eye is needed for beading. Long needles are needed to get through thick projects, while very short ones are useful for quilting (a longer needle bends too much).  If you're pulling ribbon, cable or metallic thread through a tight fabric, you'll want a needle, like a large chenille, that can make a big enough hole that the fiber isn't damaged while pulling it in and out of the tight weave.  In this case, you might try a larger eye than you would otherwise use.  So think a bit at this stage.

 4.  Select a type of needle

The first 3 steps help you decide your needle type.  Here's an easy guide to follow as a rule of thumb, but remember to change size or type if your purpose is a bit different:

• counted cross stitch and needlepoint - blunt tapestry needle
• ribbon embroidery - chisel point chenille needle
• quilting and sewing - sharps or between needle
• stamped cross stitch or embroidery - embroidery needle
• beading (attach beads to other needlework) - beading or milliners
• crewel embroidery - crewel or embroidery needles
• darning or mending wool - long or short darners
• inserting ribbons or elastic into a casing - bodkin

 5.  Select the size eye

Once you have your needle type, it's time to pick a size.  As stated above, use the smallest eye you can thread using the fibers called for by your project, unless there are circumstances suggesting a larger one.  For needlepoint, the needle should drop through the canvas easily without forcing.  The eye sizes are smaller as the number goes higher, so a #18 tapestry needle has a large shaft and a big eye suitable for yarn, while a #24 tapestry needle is shorter, thinner and has a smaller eye.  I like to buy my needles in assortments so that I always have a selection without having a drawer full of needle packages.  You can buy tapestry needles in 18/22 assorted to use for needlepoint, or 24/26 to use for cross stitch.  Chenille needles come in 18/22 assorted and are used mostly for ribbon embroidery.  The size 18 works fine for a 7 mm ribbon, and makes a big enough hole (otherwise, you might think it looks too big). Once you find a size you like to work with, stock up so you'll never be out when inspiration strikes! 

6.  Try it out!

Now you have picked a needle type and size.  Get some of your thread and fabric and try it out.  If I'm tired, I may go for one size larger so it's  easier to thread the needle (so long as it doesn't damage the fabric).  When I'm working right in the middle of a stitched area, I may use a smaller needle to make sure I can get between the existing stitches more easily.  There's no science.  Use what works.  With a little practice, you'll be able to pick easily.  

7.  A little about brands

A cheap needle is no fun at all.  Some of them are not strong and bend, some rust quickly.  I prefer English needles from Colonial or John James. However, I use Peicemakers chenille needles because they make an assortment that suits me.  Any of these brands are good - I've tried them and can vouch for them.  If you find a bargain on needles, feel free to try them out, but don't be afraid to discard them if you have a problem.  It's only $1.00 for needles, but hours of frustration if you don't like them.  

8.  Needle Care

Try not to leave your needle in a good area of the fabric - even good ones can discolor with time, especially if your hands were oily. Store in a felt needlecase or in a wooden tube needlecase.  Discard needles when they feel rough or don't pull through the fabric smoothly.   Don't leave needles lying around!  My family knows not to walk around barefoot because I'm always losing pins and needles!

To help take some of the mystery out of needle selection, I've compiled a glossary of needle types complete with pictures, along with some general usage guides.  But if you're in a hurry to start a project, save the rest for later!

Happy stitching!

Catherine Bracken, a lifelong stitcher,  is the owner of discountneedlework.com, a successful online needlework shop featuring quality needlework supplies at low prices.  See more stitching tips at her website, http://www.discountneedlework.com/Tips/tips.asp.  To sign up for a monthly newsletter of more great articles and ideas, Click here or go to http://www.discountneedlework.com/mailSubscribe.asp

Sharps - These are general sewing needles or quilting needles.. Sizes 16-18 are known as carpet sharps and, as the name suggests, are used in the design of carpets and rugs.  Sharps will work for quilting, especially if you are an "up/down" quilter and don't need the strength of the short quilting needles.

Quilting - Specifically designed for quilters, the short length of these needles allows you to stitch far faster than when using an ordinary needle.  The short length makes sure they don't bend when you use a running stitch, but they're sometimes a bit hard to thread.

Tapestry - These large eye needles allow the user to thread tapestry wool or six-stranded cotton, while the blunt end enables the needle to pass through canvas without tearing it.  This is the workhorse of most needleworkers.

Chenille  - These needles are identical to tapestry needles except that they have a sharp point which will pass through coarse fabrics>

Embroidery - These needles have a longer eye which makes them ideal for threading stranded cotton. Apart from this, they are the same length and point as and ordinary sewing needle.  Some companies package their embroidery needles as crewel.  Just make sure you buy the right size eye.

Milliners - Although traditionally used in the millinery trade, they are now more commonly used for pleating and fancy decorative stitches. They are similar to an ordinary sewing needle except that they are longer, and are about the same diameter the whole length.  Also used in Brazilian embroidery.

Darners or long darners- As the name suggests, these are used for darning work. Sizes 14-18 are known as yarn darners, useful for mending items like knitted wool sweaters.  In a pinch, you can substitute a long darner for a bodkin!

Bodkin - These are generally used to thread ribbons, elastics and other drawstrings through a casing, and come in two different forms: flat and round.  So much easier than a safety pin and not as pointy as a darner!

Glossary provided by www.discountneedlework.com - your source for quality needlework at low prices!

This is just a quick guide to help select which needle is right for which project and doesn't illustrate all the possible uses for needles.  The canvas size column is for the mesh in holes per inch.  The Needle size shows the type and standard size number for the corresponding fabric.  Penelope canvas comes with 2 sets of holes - stitch in the big hole only for gros point, or use all the holes for petit point.

Handy Needle Guide provided by www.discountneedlework.com, your source for quality needlework at low prices!

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