Needle gauge

Do I need to buy a needle gauge that is the same brand as the set of interchangeables I have?
Sorry if a silly question - I didn’t know if measurements can slightly vary per company.

My interchangeables the sizes are wearing off on some of them and it’s getting really hard to see what size they are. So I’m gonna need to buy a needle gauge.

I’m sure there are many ways to approach your question. Some knitters want absolute accuracy when they measure their needles and some use calipers for truly precise measurements. Personally I figure that close enough is close enough. Needle size can vary slightly even within the same manufacturer’s needles. I have Sunstruck interchangeables that one tip of the pair barely fits in the hole for that size and the other is somewhat loose. I happen to have a gauge of the same brand as most of my needles because it came in a color I thought would be easy to find in my knitting clutter, it has metric and US sizes (handy reference for when I need to know what size needle someone who uses metrics is talking about), and when I added it to my cart it brought the total high enough to get me free shipping. Your best choice depends on what’s important to you. I’d go with what is affordable, readily available, and looks like it will work well for me.

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I “borrow” caliper from my hubby’s tool and kinda “loose” it in
knitting basket hehe😁

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Love this! :rofl:

Usually any needle gauge from the same country would be fine.

(There are some differences between US, UK & Australia, and Japan, so you might not want to mix those.)

One advantage in getting the gauge from the same company would be that it would probably have the same size range that the needles do. (Companies have differences in what they manufacture in the very small or large sizes.)

But any company’s gauge should cover the same ones in the mid range.

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Thank you - I don’t have a needle gauge at all but it’s just my set of interchangeables the sizes are nearly impossible to read on most of them now so think I will have to get one.
But good to know it’s fine to get any gauge or even a callipers.

Ha I may see if I can ‘borrow’ one too :joy:

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I use a knit pro gauge and this is accurate enough for lots of different material knit pro tips, lykke and chiaogoo, as well as a range of old fixed addi, pym etc!! Some fit more snuggly than others, but none go through the ‘wrong’ hole!! So I think a single gauge would probably be good enough to meet your needs!!

While I have my own digital callipers (not pilfered, lol!) I’m in the “go with close enough” camp. When it comes to gauge, there are a lot of variables besides needle size, so it’s probably impossible to knit with absolute precision. Knitting is forgiving enough that gauge problems will usually have a workable solution, though.

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What name are your interchangeable needles?
I ask because I noticed mine have the number on the needle and after many uses they were doing the same until I was In better lighting and saw that they also have the number on the metal part. Mine are by knitters pride. Not sure what other brands do with their markings that’s why I asked.

I have addi click (long lace). Yeah the black numbers have rubbed off and what’s underneath is pretty much impossible to read. Some are ok but for most of them I have to be in certain light to be able to read them and even then I have to angle them just right to read them (not great!)

Most of my needles are Knitter’s Pride, my understanding is they’re the same as Knit Pro. The Nova Platina have the size on them but the only way I can read it is to be in the best light possible, stand on one foot, hold my mouth just so, and squint. I use my needle gauge. Zing tips I can read the size easily but expect that one day the size marking will wear off. My Knit Picks Sunstruck tips aren’t marked at all.

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My needle gauge is a cheap bit of plastic I got free with a big set of budget bamboo needles. Also got a whole bunch of free stitch markers, tapestry needles, tape measure and other stuff. My point being that it’s nothing special but it works fine for me. It’s marked with sizes of a couple of different countries but I don’t think it’s actually marked up in mm which is what I use. If I don’t know the needle size I get a different needle that still has its size printed on shove it in a few holes until I find one it fits then use that hole to check the needles where the size has rubbed off or I just can’t see.
It sounds kind of haphazard but it works just fine.
I do have a “posh” set of interchangeable now, lykke, the size is on the metal bit and so small I don’t even bother trying to read it, I use the gauge instead.

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Where the number has rubbed off, it it was engraved on the metal, take nail polish and fill in the engraved area

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