Episode 16—You Need a Needle
The humble sewing machine needle—such a small part of the process and yet, such a huge part of the process. Gone are the days when the choices were red band needles for wovens and yellow band needles for knits. Today's sewists have a plethora of choices, from needles for quilting to those best for cosplay and embroidery. We'll explore all there is to know about sewing machine needles. Learn about shanks, eyes, and scarfs (scarves?). Find out how often you should change your needle. Become confident in your needle choices and set your next sewing project up for success!
Minerva.com—where I purchased the Meet Milk Ottoman Rib and the Minerva Core Range cotton/lycra French terry.
Additional needle information
The Thread Exchange—lots of good resources on needles and thread
Schmetz Needles—my favorite domestic sewing machine needles. Their website is chock full of information on all the needles they sell. They also package some of their needles in bulk packages of 100.
Echidna Sewing (Australia) has an excellent explanation of machine needle coatings.
Sewing machine needle cross-referencing charts—if you have a vintage machine for which you are searching for needles, these charts may help. They come in both domestic (flat shank) and industrial (round shank) versions.
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Janet will be teaching knitting classes at Sew Expo 2024 in Puyallup, Washington! Registration opens on January 16, 2024.
Janet Szabo’s website
Big Sky Knitting Designs website—Purchase digital copies of Janet’s knitting patterns and order copies of her books.
The ‘Suck It Up, Buttercup’ Blog—Janet’s commentary on life in Montana
