Wood, bamboo, metal, plastic? Which is your favorite kind of needle

[crazycatladymel]

Chelsea: Because you like the feel of the aluminum, I'm not recommending that you switch, but I'll tell you that the bamboo needles from Target were rough and not like a good wood or bamboo needle.

[eunnyjang]

I like different things for different projects...aluminum for textured knitting and plain knitting; bamboo for lace and colorwork.

[tofuttibreak]

Chelsea: Because you like the feel of the aluminum, I'm not recommending that you switch, but I'll tell you that the bamboo needles from Target were rough and not like a good wood or bamboo needle.

True. Mine were so rough that they gave me a splinter.

[claypeanut]

I thought the ones from target looked kinda scary.......I really like bamboo, but i was fortunate to find about 10 pairs of aluminum needles ranging from 3 to 15 for about $3 at a thrift store!  What a score! So I think I may just try getting use to them......tricky at first....but i think it may be making it some what faster.....now that I've gotten the stitches to stop slipping off!

[Chelsea]

Yeah, I knew they were rough, but it wasn't the roughness that bothered me.  It's the flexibility...I'll end up breaking them. 

[lemonadelemonade]

My favorite needles ever are the dpn's I made out of dowel rods.  I just like the way they feel when I knit with them.  They're not too long or heavy or noisy or slippery like all my metal needles.  And they were cheeeaaaap.

[athena404]

im so supprised no one has mentioned addi turbos yet
dear goodness, once  you try them you can never go back to normal needles
knitting is a breeze with them...

[ambrrdawn]

For those of you who knit with different needles for different kinds of yarn or projects- why? What is the benefit? I've tried wood, bamboo and aluminum. I hate aluminum with a passion, although it is what I learned on, they're too slippery. Even wood needles are a bit on the slippery side for my taste. I am in love with Clover bamboo needles. I think it may have to do with the fact that I knit a little loosely. I feel like the bamboo doesn't snag the yarn but holds onto it a little so it doesn't slip off. Or maybe the deal is that whatever you get most used to is easiest for you...
This was a good question! 

[eunnyjang]

For those of you who knit with different needles for different kinds of yarn or projects- why? What is the benefit?

For plain stockinette, I like Addi Turbos - the aluminum is slick enough to keep the work moving smoothly along the needle, and the blunt tips help keep the yarn from splitting when knitting fast.  I like them for textured knitting for the same reason - the tips don't split the yarn when cabling without a third needle.

For colorwork, I like bamboo or wood because the "grabbiness" means I can spread the worked stitches over the right hand needle and they'll stay there, so my floats stay well-tensioned.  For lace, I like that they "grip" the stitches while I maneuver around decs and yos, particularly because I do some funny things with my ssks and centered double decreases (for speed's sake), where I never slip the stitch to the right needle; rather I weave the tip under and over the right places and draw the yarn through.  Slightly sticky tips keep everything where I need it until I'm ready to slip it off.  Also, I can file down wood to wicked sharpness, which I nearly always do for fine-gauge lace.

[Jodi1978]

Mine is metal.  Works well with all yarn.