Needle lengths

#1

I’m starting to look at some patterns online to see if there’s anything I can take a stab at, and a lot of the patterns I’m seeing (mostly for shawls and small blankets) tell you to cast on 80+ stitches. I’m looking at my needles, and I don’t know if they would fit a total of 80+ stitches. The patterns specify needle sizes, but they don’t specify different needle lengths. Is there such a thing? Wouldn’t you need longer needles for larger projects?

#2

Most larger projects are done on circular needles, which can be used just like straight ones to knit flat things as well as in the round. The cords hold about 2-3 times the number of sts as the length of the needles

#3

I did notice that some patterns specified using circular needles (if they had like 100+ stitches), but none of the 80 stitch patterns specified that, so I wasn’t sure if that amount of stitches should fit on straight needles with no problems.

#4

They may fit on 14" needles if the yarn is thin, but it’s a lot easier to handle that many sts on a circular anyway. You don’t have to balance the growing length of the piece with your hands and wrists, the sts sit on the cord.