Tapestry Needles for Finishing
A tapestry needle (also called a yarn needle or darning needle) is a large blunt-tipped needle used for sewing seams, weaving in ends, and Kitchener-stitching live stitches together. Every knitter needs at least one.
Recommended A printable technique cheat-sheet for your knitting bag.
Choosing the size
Tapestry needles come in sizes from 13 (large, for bulky yarn) to 24 (fine, for fingering). Match the needle size to the yarn — too large rips a hole through the fabric; too small splits the yarn.
Materials
Steel (most durable, slightly heavier), aluminium (lightweight, prone to bending), plastic (lightweight, used for very large yarns). Bent tapestry needles (with a 30-degree angle at the tip) make weaving in ends easier on dense fabrics.
In partnership Tools and supplies that make this technique easier.
Uses
Mattress stitch seaming. Kitchener stitch. Weaving in ends. Sewing buttons and embellishments. Threading provisional cast-on yarn. Adding duplicate stitch.
Care
Keep tapestry needles in a small case or stuck through a felt pad — they get lost easily. A small magnetic pin holder is the most reliable storage.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| k | knit |
| p | purl |
Tips
- Match needle size to yarn weight — too large rips fabric; too small splits yarn.
- Bent-tip tapestry needles make weaving in ends much easier.
- Store in a magnetic pin holder to avoid losing them.
In depth
A tapestry needle is the single most-used finishing tool in knitting. The 5-minute investment in a good tapestry needle pays back across every project that requires seaming, grafting, or weaving in ends — which is essentially every project.