Can you use circular knitting needles for most projects?

[Abarat]

This may be a stupid question. I just taught myself to knit this week and am looking around at knitting needle sets and am wondering if I could get away with using circular needles for everything or if I need to get straight needles too?
My main concern is the cost of getting a good variety of needles I may need. I'll be ordering online since we don't have any place in town to get them. Any good places to get cheap sets or cheap needles?

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I actually prefer circs for most projects. It makes it super easy to shove the whole project to the wire end and not worry about dropping stitches at all when you shove it into your bag to take with you. I also hate the feeling of long kneedles whacking whatever chair I am sitting in. Circs all the way here whenever I can.

[Arwyn]

If the wire is long enough to do magic loop (or you're never going to do anything with a small circumference, like baby booties), then yes, you can do it with pretty much anything. I actually never use straights, only circs or double pointeds. I loathe straight needles!

[zech13_9_goforgold]

Yes! I bought the set of interchangable needles and love them. You can put on any size needle you want and make the cord lengths longer by putting two or even three together. It's great. I wish I had started with this set instead of buying lots of straight needles. I do like one straight needle set to help me cast on, but it's not necessary, just a preference. Knitting in the round (where you connect your two ends of knitting together to form a tube) is so great that sometimes I wish I could do it for everthing. I love that the weight of knitted material is on your lap with circular needles instead of suspended by a straight needle (very important when you start knitting blankets).

I don't like using DPN very much, but can manage if I have to.

Once you complete your first project, grab a pair of circular needles and try something larger.

I'm so happy for you. You'll find yourself addicted to the feel of needles in your hands.

[~Megan~]

I always use circular needles.

[PattyCakes_726]

I use circs for all my projects (except socks). I don't even own straight needles. I find that circs allow me to keep a more relaxed posture when I'm knitting.

[flapjack]

Yes. I use circs for most things, but I like having a really good set of wood straights in the sizes I use most often as well. Try ebay for cheap bamboo circulars, or www.knitpicks.com for their harmony and options range. I have the harmony, and I love them. (They also do a minipack of 4.0,5.0 and 6.0mm needles and cables.)
There are, two new interchangeable sets out this year- hiya hiya and addi, which could be worth hanging on for, though.

[Twinklefae]

I prefer using straights when I can, I find them mroe comfortable, but I learned to knit on them.

[Think of Winter]

Circs work for everything.

Do you know if you prefer wood, bamboo, or metal? I wouldn't buy a set until you decide this. I think the best sets around are at Knit Picks.

[Abarat]

Originally Posted by Think of Winter

Circs work for everything.

Do you know if you prefer wood, bamboo, or metal? I wouldn't buy a set until you decide this. I think the best sets around are at Knit Picks.

So far I've only used metal. They're alright, but I don't have anything else to compare them to. Any opinions on this?

I'd love to get a set from knitpicks in the harmony wood or the Options needles, but a bamboo set from ebay would be less than half the cost.

[Think of Winter]

Well, it's totally personal preference. I like for my yarn to slide easily across the needles, so I like my addi turbos. But my bamboos are nearly as slick, and more comfortable to hold, I think. They're warmer and quieter. For circs, it's really important to me that the join is smooth. I have a pr of 12" addi circs that have a ridge at the join that makes me crazy. It snags my yarn and irritates my hand. I have a pr of Plymouth Speedways, and I have to shove my yarn over the join. Not fun.

If you knit on the tight side, you'll prefer slicker needles, and if you knit on the loose side, you'll probably prefer wood or bamboo.

I heard the Harmony wood needles from KP are really sharp. I sometimes slide my yarn on the needles by pushing on the points, so I haven't tried these.

I don't think I'd buy a whole set of anythying without having tried that brand before, or at least get a lot of feedback from other knitters about what they're like.

[mhurst]

I haven't used straight needles in years...

[channelofpeace]

I haven't ever owned straights

I have knitpicks options set and I love it! I have a few sets of DPN for icords, but magic loop my small circumference knitting. I tried using borrowed straights for a project once and i found them unwieldy.

[AutumnMama]

I love my KnitPicks options circular set. I really don't use anything else unless I need a tiny needle size (even then I still use circulars).

[mum21andtwins]

I'd go on freecycle or a charityshop and get some used needles in different materials and play around with different yarns.
I prefer different needles for different yarns all are circular though. but before you commit to a full set of needles play around!
hth

[MeepyCat]

I have the KnitPicks Harmony aset and I love it. I never use straights for anything. I use DPNs sometimes, for small diameter stuff, but even flat knitting I do on circulars.

[texmati]

I also use circs for everything. I do have a collection of straigts that I picked up at a garage sale. I would post on craigslist and/or freecycle and try to pick up used. I also have gotten good at adjusting gauge to use the needles I have on hand/like best with the yarn.

[3boobykins]

I also use only circs, no straights or dpn. I use Magic Loop for small circumferences. I think straights would feel really strange now, even though I started out with them. Like many others, I adore my Knit Picks Options set and long cables for ML!