Getting Started with E-Textiles: Choosing a Needle

You can use any needle with our conductive thread but as it frays very easily and is quite thick, you will probably find some needles easier to use than others. The best thing is to experiment with a couple of different needles to find the one you like best.   You might find that you use different needles depending on the fabric or project that you are doing. In particular it is worth bearing in mind that although a larger eye needle is easier to thread, it will also leave a larger hole in the fabric. The easiest needles to use are ones with a sharp point and large, long eyes as this makes threading easier. Good needles to use are:

• Embroidery needles (sometimes called crewel needles).
• Chenille needles (don’t confuse these with tapestry needles as although they are similar, tapestry needles have blunt points).
• Darning needles (similar to embroidery needles but usually longer).
• Our recommended large eye e-textile needles.

The different needle types come in different sizes. The size you choose depends on personal preference.

• For embroidery and darning needles the best sizes tend to be any size from 1 to 5 with size 1s having the larger eye and size 5 being the smallest. Size 1 or 2 is the best to use with children or anyone who finds needle threading difficult.
• For chenille needles the best size is around a 22. You can get chenille needles with very large eyes (needle sizes around 18) but they will leave large holes in many fabrics.

Once you have chosen your needle you're ready to move on to the next article in the series; Threading a needle.

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