If you ask a thousand knitters what are the best knitting needles to use, you'll get a thousand different answers. It may feel like every other knitter in the world is conspiring against you by leading you in all different directions, but the reason for this simply comes down to human nature: we are all beautifully complex creatures with different needs and preferences, and those needs and preferences bring us to different knitting needles. While other people can't say the best knitting needles to use for your personal preferences, different factors can certainly help guide your needle purchases, such as your knitting skill level, your fiber preferences, your current project, and your tension. With all these variables in mind, read on for our recommendations for needle types, shapes, and materials.