Sunday, October 16, 2011

Needles - Style and Size

Type of Needle:
There are many types of needles which are designed to be used for different types of needlework. For needlepoint we use a 'Tapestry Needle'. A tapestry needle has a blunt point so that it will go cleanly up and down through the holes of the canvas without catching threads and has a relatively large oval eye to accommodate heavier fibers.

Coordinating Tapestry Needle with Canvas Mesh Size:
Tapestry needles come in a variety of sizes that coordinate well with canvas mesh sizes. As a rule the needle should slip through the canvas hole without distorting the the canvas mesh but large enough to create a path for the fiber to go through with out fraying it. The size of the needle is indicated by a number. The larger the number the smaller the needle.

  • For 14 mesh canvas you would probably use a size 20 tapestry needle
  • For 18 mesh canvas you would probably use a size 22 tapestry needle
  • For 24 mesh congress cloth you would probably use a size 24 tapestry needle
The above are guidelines. Experienced stitchers may adjust their needle sizes based on the fiber size instead of the canvas mesh size. For instance, for a thin thread you might use a size 24 tapestry needle instead of a size 22  on an 18 mesh canvas or you might choose a size 26 tapestry needle for fine thread on 24 mesh canvas cloth. Adjusting needle size comes with experience. If you are a beginner the guidelines above will work well until you develop a preference.

There are many brands of needles on the market you will need to work with different ones to develop your own preference.  Please share your thoughts on different brands needles with the rest of the class.   

No comments:

Post a Comment