what can I do with no.10 needles?

[segata]

Someone suggested bamboo needles and the only ones I could find were size 10(6mm)Do I need to get smaller ones??I hope not

[Sagesgirl]

This is one of the reasons knitting's pretty frustrating for me. So many of the patterns are written for small needles.

BUT, that doesn't mean you can't use those!

How long are they? In many ways longer ones are more versatile, but that doesn't mean you can't make a lot of stuff with short ones.

You can make a garter stitch scarf. If you use pretty colors, you can make several short garter stitch scarves & then sew them together & make a baby blanket. (Stripes!)

You can also make a variety of simple shawls, including this one or this one. (The second one is a how-to, not a pattern, & well worth checking out.)

(Assuming you're a total knitting newbie like I am, remember garter stitch is the simplest one, where you simply knit every single row. You can do any of this stuff in stockinette too--knit the first row, purl the second row. Stockinette tends to curl, though.)

You can also make a "modular" sweater; easiest would be a baby sweater, out of five rectangles, such as this one. That pattern's written for #9 needles, but all you really need to do is make yourself a gauge swatch (which, hey, makes a great coaster) and then do a little math. Say you've got 5 sts per inch & you want a 10" wide sweater, you'd need 50 sts. Pretty simple. (You can also make a 4-square sweater, with the front & back being the same thing. Yeah, there's no neck shaping. That's called a "boat neck".)

Plus, if you make stuff without patterns, you'll get to brag that you don't need a pattern to knit.

[iowaorganic]

You can do lots! Here are a few super cute and quick patterns!

This is for a 5 hour baby sweater- it calls for 10.5- but I think 10s would be close enough for a newborn...
http://www.fibergypsy.com/patterns/swtrpatt.shtml

This one is awesome- I made one out of a varigated cotton and it is fabulous! It calls for 11s- but 10s will work if you just size it up a titch and knit a few more rows- it is very adaptable.
http://peonyknits.blogspot.com/2005/...et-fo-and.html

Or this one that I am knitting right now! I am using a skien of lavender silk and it is beautiful! Don't let the lace pattern fool you- it is super easy and fun to knit.
http://www.interweaveknits.com/freep.../bed_shrug.pdf

Do you like handbags? I have knit several of these and the turn out absolutely adorable- the cable pattern looks tricky to a newbie- but I swear it is cake! I used wool and lined it with cotton and put on bamboo handles.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.j...DID=xprd130235

You could also do dishrags- dishrags don't care if they are on gauge!

[MeepyCat]

My favorite pair of needles are 10s! You could do a heck of a lot worse for sizes.

Size 10s are great for doing any project in worsted weight yarn. I assume you have straights - those are good for things you produce as flat pieces (not so good if you want to make things like socks). Blankets, sweaters, scarves, hats (there are some great hat patterns that you work flat).

Find a worsted weight yarn you want to work with, and decide what you want to make out of it.

ETA: Also keep in mind that the needle size on a pattern is just a recommendation! Every knitter is different - you may knit looser or tighter than the designer. Knit a sample and see how close you are to the pattern gauge before you really start the project - that way you can switch needles, or resize the object. Also, if you do that, you may find that your 10s are just *perfect*, even though the pattern suggests 10.5, or 9, or 11.